[Winona Online Democracy] Hi, Kathy and all those in this transportation discussion:
Let me say that I, too, share fond memories of the busses in Winona. [I'm glad they ran as often as they did ... I remember that it still was not easy for an elementary student to ride carrying a very large trombone in an even larger case!] I'm too young to remember the streetcars, but there's a wealth of photos of them at the Winona County Historical Society's museum on Johnson Street. Winona was a very progressive city with its own streetcar system - some evidence of the where the tracks were can still be found on East Third Street and other places. Alas, the tracks themselves are long gone. One of the last Winona streetcars (#10) has been found and is being restored at the Minnesota Transportation Museum. Thanks to Erik Brom for the information - because of that, I found out that my place of employment, HBC (58 Johnson Street), is located in what was the former streetcar "barn" for Winona. As far as Winona's present system goes, it is one of the most cost efficient systems in the state. We have a much lower operating cost since the city owns the busses but doesn't maintain them nor covers the driver's pay. Although there are liability issues, the city has, in my opinion, been able to provide this service at a very low cost to the property taxpayer. City staff has done a very good job of coordinating this public and private partnership. Input on routes is always helpful and is appreciated. With the recent replacement of all the system's busses, we now have busses that are air conditioned and accessible. As far as other systems are concerned, I've observed mass transit in Tokyo and Winona's sister city of Kogota. In larger cities like Tokyo, one really does not need a car. The subways and trains are very frequent, on time, and easy to navigate (well, Tokyo Train Station can be intimidating...) When we were in Kogota, a city of about 22,000 population, we were driven by private vehicle to and from our various meetings. Taxis in Japan were universally excellent - mostly new, clean, and virtually spotless - with drivers wearing white gloves and with fancy doilies on the seat backs. Of course, in Japan the government requires that car owners maintain their vehicles and pass tests to make sure they are not rusted or mechanically deficient. (Some in Japan say it is to benefit the car industry). And the "bullet" trains are excellent, too. All of this, as my small understanding of their system goes, was first developed at great government expense, then (in the case of trains) privatized, with some of the new private companies struggling to compete. As everyone has observed, any extension of transit will depend upon available funds. As well as whether folks will use it. We have an efficient and cost effective system now; I would look very carefully at the impact an expansion would have on the operating costs. By the way, the busses being used during the weekend evenings between the downtown and university campuses are being supported by those institutions and grants and not by the city alone. I also think the city has done quite a bit over the last few years to promote bicycle transportation, too. Thanks for an interesting discussion. Al Thurley 1st ward city council representative 1566 Heights Boulevard Winona, MN 55987 (507) 454-3993 [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
