Public Transportation – Lay Health Promoters

Tonya Osinkosky
Table C 3-4 pm

Attendees: Anne Lorimer, Jeremy Aldrich, Youngsil Kang, Sam Nickels, Wilfredo Flores, Brian Gumm, Maria Martinez, Fredy Martinez, Julia Solow, Dolma, Holly Martin, Josh Diamond, Cindy Hunter, Florencia Paz, Gilberto Diaz, Tonya Osinkosky, Betsy Gustavo

We understand that JMU is subsidizing public transit in H’burg, but we need better public transportation, too!

Lay Health Promoters have done three ride alongs and are circulating a petition that includes names, phone numbers, neighborhoods where people live, destinations they would most likely travel to, and days/times when they most need transportation. We want more direct routes, like to Wal-Mart, work and ESL classes.

There are people who are taking advantage–charging too much to give people rides to work.

This is a problem that will affect the whole city–taxes on people who have cars and don’t want to pay taxes. We have to make it economically viable.

Biking is an alternative, and Everyday Bikes at Our Community Place offers bikes. However, we need better bike routes and there is the issue of weather.

Suggestions included:

Keep organizing this group by talking with other groups to form a network: mosque, Hispanic churches, Senior Citizen services, organizations that work with physically challenged, organization that work with low income groups, people who can’t by cars or drive, and students.
Propose a route that a lot of people will support. Use this as a test run.
Don’t present this as an immigrant community issue, but a community issue in general (since that is what it is).

For information on how to obtain the petition, contact Tonya Osinkosky at 433-4421 or tonya.osinkosky.6567@rhcc.com.

The Promotoras will continue to get together, taking the suggestions into consideration. We will contact interested persons who were at the summit.

A number of people at the summit signed the petition and took blank sheets with them to collect signatures.