Graphic by RABA Proposed changes to the Anderson bus route. A group of Anderson bus riders objected to these changes.
The Redding Area Bus Authority (RABA) held two meetings last week in Anderson to gather community input about proposed changes to the bus service in Anderson. Approximately 19 Anderson residents attended the meetings presented by RABA Transportation Manager Ray Duryee.
RABA has proposed modifying Route 9 and eliminating the Anderson Express line. As proposed, the combined route, a 90-minute circuit, would cover fewer streets in Anderson and include a trip to Redding. The reduction in services would save the City of Anderson $150,000 yearly.
From Redding, the proposed route will traverse southbound Highway 273, North Street (east), McMurry Street (south), South Street (east), Highway 273 (south) and turn around at Wal-Mart. The route will return to Redding following the same streets. A map of the proposed changes is available
online at www.andersonvalleypost.com.
The attendees at the meetings overwhelmingly disapproved of the changes. Audience member William Perry stressed the importance of a stop near Briarwood Apartments, which is a subsidized housing complex that has many disabled people.
Other audience members protested the removal of various stops on the route citing longer walking distances and dangerous road crossings. Two dangerous areas were mentioned: crossing Balls Ferry Road and walking along Highway 273.
“We know we’re going to have a bus stop at Perko’s and U.S. Bank,” Webster said. “No question about it.”
Audience member Jessica German asked why the bus line would be reduced in a city that is growing.
“With the influx of elderly people into Shasta County, these people should be able to get on a bus,” German said. “Where is Anderson going with its future?”
The audience, when asked by Duryee, preferred the old Route 9 that existed until 2005 to the routes that exist today. The audience agreed that the existing routes are unreliable and the smaller busses are inadequate to load disabled patrons in a timely manner.
The City of Anderson had asked RABA to scale down its operations in Anderson because costs have increased to$30,000 per month since the route changed in 2005.
“We’re paying a higher percentage than the other entities,” said Mayor Keith Webster.
RABA will consider the proposal at a public hearing on July 2, 5:15 p.m. at the Redding City Council Chambers at 777 Cypress Ave. in Redding.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 1
secman64 writes:
Does the city of Anderson think that by elemenating almost all the RABA bus stops that the lower income residents will disapear as if they never existed? It seems like here lately all the council is worried about is superfiscal looks for the city. For one reason or another, not everyone in Anderson can afford a car, so the bus is what they use to get around. And alot of them are disabled. I use to ride the route 9 bus a lot,and it was always packed. Now the city of Anderson is proposing to elemenate all the stops. So what is the solution for that elderly person. Walk 2 or 3 miles in 110 degree weather, taking a huge risk of injuring themselves in this heat, just to get to a bus stop. When there was a perfectly good one right by their house, but the council voted to take it away. So go ahead council, make this town pretty under the guise of finances. But who will be there to appreciate it when the normal residance can't get out and about because you took their bus stops away.
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