Unfortunately, as far as I know, Transtop "shelters" are franchised in lieu
of Metro transit's willingness or ability to place shelters on key sites.
Transtop shelters are franchised by the city - not Metro Transit or the Met
Council. City franchises are often issued with rules and restrictions place
on their implementation - but rarely, if ever, enforce them.
My guess is that the city's franchise with Transtop - issued as a public
service in exchange for selling floor to ceiling advertsiing panels (ugly
ones and another commercial blight on the cityscape) - requires maintenace
of the shelter speaces, but little else - and neither is enforced, therefore
ignored by Transtop unless 1) they're putting in a new billboard, or 2) a
major complaint is issued.
City enforcers never inspect for violations of city contracts without a
complaint. Period. Instead of making the rounds with a list of violations at
the end of a day requiring repairs and cleaning and safety fixups, they sit
and wait for a phone call, then wait for another, and if several come in
about a single location, they may call up the company and report the
complaints. Do they ever go out and check on the issues being raised? I
won't say never. I will say, not likely ever, but certainly very rarely.
If you ask the city why they're not out there enforcing their own
franchises, they will plead poverty and staff shortages and so on, and that
all may well be true. The big issue is when will citizens base their support
for politicians based on the proper funding and staffing of enforcement
efforts and the prophylactic inspections to keep little, aging, ladies from
breaking their hips on the ice outside (or inside) the shelters?
My guess? Never. These are not the issues on which candidates run nor the
fires to which their feet are held when running or serving. They seem minor
in the large picture climate of a campaign, but major when someone gets hurt
or 80-year-old ladies are spotted chopping ice and someone makes that
anecdote available for public consumption.
Make these matter a part of the campaign dialogue and you will get
enforcement. Make these matters the same topic of concern that a group home
going into a residential neighborhood creates and you'll see changes. Not
before.
Andy Driscoll
--
"Whatever keeps you from your work is your work."
Albert Camus
The Driscoll Group/Communications
Writing/Graphics/Political Consulting/Communications Strategies
835 Linwood Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105
651-293-9039
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> From: "timothy connolly" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 10:43:14 -0800 (PST)
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [Mpls] sidewalks,police officers, and a woman named Helen
>
> First, let me introduce you to Helen.
>
> On Tuesday, I'm walking west down Lake from Nicollet
> and at the corner of Lake and Lyndale I spot a
> slightly hunched woman with a yellow bladed ice
> chopper going at ice around the bus stop in front of
> Mike's Subs and the little jewelry shop next to it.
>
> So I talked to the woman. I'm curious. Her name is
> Helen and she has borrowed the ice chopper from the
> little shop to chop away ice at the bus stop and in
> the shelter. She doesn't live in the neighborhood but
> apparently comes there often as the day before she had
> gotten her feet wet trying to get on the bus. so today
> she has taken matters into her own hands. God bless
> her stout heart.
>
> Questions: What does Metro Transit get from its
> arrangement with Transtop? They clean shelters in
> summer but do they ever shovel snow or chop ice in
> winter? Who is responsible to clear away snow and ice
> at bus stops? Little old ladies like Helen I guess.
>
> I could get into a whole monologue about the
> foolishness of turning over these shelters to private
> businesses to make money. I could get into a monologue
> about using every available inch of space inside buses
> for public service info about Metro Transit instead of
> selling ads as the private operators used to do. But
> then that would not be specifically a Mpls. issue.
>
> Sidewalks: Walk from Nicollet and Lake west to Uptown
> and you will be astounded how few sidewalks are
> cleared.
> Why can't Walgreens clear their sidewalk? Why does
> almost every auto related business along Lake not
> clear their walks? Is it coincidental you think that
> those business more reliant on foot traffic tend to
> shovel more thoroughly?
>
> It goes without saying that every auto-related
> business has plowed their lots and service areas.
>
> Believe me I am sympathetic to the plight of many
> small businesses that are struggling under the weight
> of higher property taxes but unlike homeowners they
> have a way to pass on their costs. An individual who
> may be beat from a day's work, caring for a child and
> an aging parent, trying to stay involved with PTA etc
> and faces higher property taxes, fuel costs etc eeks
> out a victory in the compassion area from me. This is
> not to mention older housebound citizens unable to
> shovel.
>
> And please don't get me started on absentee landlords.
> I used to live in the Wedge where there was a fairly
> high amount of rental apartments owned by absent
> owners. Relax, Mr. Minn, I do not mean to stereotype
> here.
>
> Now here is a suggestion that is bound to piss off a
> bunch of people. I know Dave who bartends at Club
> Havana took me to task for it.
>
> Downtown Command routinely runs beat patrols. Some of
> these guys like it. They look at it this way. They're
> getting paid by the city to keep in shape and be out
> on the street having a good time. Why doesn't 5th
> precinct do the same thing and let cops struggle down
> Lake and issue warnings. Get to know business owners,
> gather useful information, all those good things. Gee
> you could even put some guys out in residential areas
> on a rotating basis.
>
> Now Dave thinks this is demeaning for cops, that its
> the work of inspectors. O.k. I'll buy Dave's argument.
> But then maybe we ought to put more inspectors out on
> the street. But then we need to pay for them and the
> temptation will be to levy fines which I think is a
> bad policy except in the most egregious cases. I think
> a lot of these problems with sidewalks are just a lack
> of awareness on the part of some of these people.
>
> When we stop using police to protect those above from
> the rabble and see to it that police also protect the
> poor, the most vulnerable, etc from those who violate
> the ordinances and impinge on their freedom of motion,
> their very liberty as it were, then we would have a
> more just society. This would be a simple way to
> demonstrate that idea and the dividends it will pay
> might be incalculable.
>
> There are solutions to all these problems. There seems
> to be lack of will and creativity. In the meantime we
> can thank the people of the world like Helen who see a
> problem and pitch in for no other reason than to keep
> their own feet dry.
>
> Tim Connolly
> Ward 7
>
>
>
>
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