Representatives of the Galveston Public Transportation Task Force held a town meeting on March 24, at Kempner Park in the Garten Verein, located at 2704 Avenue O. The task force had three reasons for the public forum; to explain to the bus riders what the group has been doing for the last five months to improve the public transportation service; to obtain community in-put and support and to increase ridership through positive public awareness of improved enhancements.
The African-American Chamber of Commerce of Galveston County is a non-profit organization and one of its 1999 goals is to reach out into the community and address issues of concern to the minority community. The Chamber is not content to just bring issues to the table-but is dedicated to the application of using a common-sense approach to seek solutions to perceived problems.
In this case, the problem is the Island transportation system. Solving it does not take rocket science. It can be done. Simply ask yourself, "Is the bus system dependable? Can I count on it to get me from point A to point B on time? If so, would the people buy into the fact that the Task Force and Wayne Cook is doing everything possible to address and correct and improve the routes and service?" If the answer is "no," then you can ask "why not?" List the reasons why it won't work and then come up with new solutions and answers which will eliminate those reasons.
The Task Force's mission is to tell people the facts about Galveston's public transportation and suggest some common sense alternatives and improvements.
As president of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Galveston County, I met with the Galveston Chamber of Commerce's president John Tindel and its director of membership services Lynda Guidry, on August 12, 1998, to discuss a joint-effort and task-force to address public transportation.
On September 2, 1998, the task force was formed with City of Galveston representatives that included the city transportation's consultant, Barry Goodman, then city director of planning, Darren Schackman and City Councilman Danny Allen. The city at that time had not officially hired a director of transportation.
On October 21, 1998, the task force officially met with the new Island Transit Director of Transportation, Wayne Cook. The task force expanded to include Rudy Garza, executive director of the Galveston Community Development Corporation and Abdul Amin, president of Galveston Alliance of Island Neighborhoods.
The task force wanted to insure that the residents would have a safe affordable, reliable and dependable public transportation system for the island's workforce and visitors. Wayne Cook was eager to work with the group and welcome some of its suggestions such as establishing bus service to Moody Gardens, Galveston College and the new movie cinema. Garza recommended that the new maps and schedules be printed in Spanish as well as English.
It is now the people of Galveston's turn to express and offer suggestions for improving the Island transportation system. The Task Force welcomes constructive criteria and will act accordingly. We seek solutions from the actual bus riders demanding a better transportation system. Hopefully, critics that do not ride the bus and those who merely wish to be heard with no actual input will not impede on the true intention of those of us wanting a better and much improved transportation system.