RadioOnFire.com - Scores of Baltimore residents expressed their concerns Monday over the city’s new transit system.
The meeting at the War Memorial Building came just a week after the launch of BaltimoreLink. Baltimore Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1300, the union which represents transit workers, organized the event.
Frustration was evident among many bus riders when they were asked describe BaltimoreLink.
“Disastrous,” Linda Johnson said.
“Terrible, terrible,” Aaron Sims said.
“I can’t say it on TV,” Charlie Bowman said.
Residents packed the War Memorial Building and told officials that they fell short of the "comprehensive, efficient, and effective" mass transit system they promised.
"Now you're raising the prices on the busses but you're not helping us get back and forth to work,” one rider said. “So my question is Gov. Hogan whenever you give him this message is he going to pay my bills when I get fired because my boss has a problem with me getting to work late?”
Acting Maryland Transit Administration Administrator Kevin Quinn said BaltimoreLink isn't a done deal.
“Something that we've said loud and clear throughout this whole process is that we want public feedback and we want public input,” Quinn said.
“I pay my tax dollars for these things and i just want some respect,” Sims said.
Quinn agrees, saying residents deserve better.
“We've been responsive to changes just a few days ago,” Quinn said. “You heard some frustration tonight about some early morning trips on some of our city link lines and already we're responding. We've added a couple extra early morning trips on the city link orange and city link blue.”
Still, some bus riders said the MTA isn't making things right fast enough.
“It's unfortunate,” Johnson said. “It's really unfortunate. These are hard-working people who are getting to work late who could lose their jobs and the people who should be here answering the questions are not."
Source WBAL
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