racheleggert
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This is not a joke...
It really happened this morning when I arrived Minnesota State Capitol. I was riding in city bus, and had to get off in middle of street, do you know why?
School buses that take schoolkids to Capitol for tours blocked the way that city bus can get to the city bus shelter. I complained to the guard at the guardhouse to ask school buses to move, allow city buses stop at bus shelter, he said sorry it is not under our jurdistcaion (?) that it is St. Paul Police thing, so told me to call St. Paul police. so I called St. Paul police, and they contacted campus security (State Patrol/State Capitol security), and they sent parking enforcement to check. I talked with my friend, Mark who work for State Patrol, he said that Lt. Bob did got call and drove around.
Later on I met with Lt. Bob of Capitol Security and he said that it is not in state law that Capitol patrol can do anything about parking on Capitol Campus, and they don't have any authority and power to do. He said it is not in statutes and I told him that what we do need to change, I felt like there was some loophole in it. The bill would give campus secuirty and Metro Transit the authority to enforce the parking on State Capitol campus.
I had to write my state representative 4 pages of letter, and had Bob and Mark tell other security to flood with calls to my state rep's office to get the bill introduced next session.
The reasons and what I have observed for 1/2 to an hour:
1) It is very unsafe enivorment for people who use city bus such as if eldery woman trying to walk across street and get hit by car, and it is impossible for them to drop off wheelchair riders because if they drop the lift onto the street and wheelchair can't go around, have to go other way to get to ramp on curbs.
2) It causes some traffic jam when MTC bus trying to drop or pick up riders
3) School buses block the bus shelter, and some people who wait for bus, they miss the bus.
4) When MTC buses was ready to stop to drop people off but the bus decided to drop people off 3 blocks away (at University and Rice) instead.
My ideas in the letter was:
1) ban all school bus parking at bus shelter areas.
2) set up designated parking lot for school buses (they can drop students off then can park bus).
3)Mark curbs that show it is for MTC buses only (same idea, like yellow curbs for fire trucks), and make signs "MTC BUS STOP ONLY, no parking, only authorized MTC buses/ The curb would be different color but not yellow to consfuse with fire truck parking.
I also suggest that Capitol Security and Metro Transit to send out letters to school districts and charter buses, letting them know not to park too close or in front of bus shelter.
I am fighting for Capitol Security and bus riders rights. I am not sure if I will be asked to testifty in committee meetings next session but I will keep you updated when we start again in Jan 2005. We are expect to adjourn on monday the 17th.
It really happened this morning when I arrived Minnesota State Capitol. I was riding in city bus, and had to get off in middle of street, do you know why?
School buses that take schoolkids to Capitol for tours blocked the way that city bus can get to the city bus shelter. I complained to the guard at the guardhouse to ask school buses to move, allow city buses stop at bus shelter, he said sorry it is not under our jurdistcaion (?) that it is St. Paul Police thing, so told me to call St. Paul police. so I called St. Paul police, and they contacted campus security (State Patrol/State Capitol security), and they sent parking enforcement to check. I talked with my friend, Mark who work for State Patrol, he said that Lt. Bob did got call and drove around.
Later on I met with Lt. Bob of Capitol Security and he said that it is not in state law that Capitol patrol can do anything about parking on Capitol Campus, and they don't have any authority and power to do. He said it is not in statutes and I told him that what we do need to change, I felt like there was some loophole in it. The bill would give campus secuirty and Metro Transit the authority to enforce the parking on State Capitol campus.
I had to write my state representative 4 pages of letter, and had Bob and Mark tell other security to flood with calls to my state rep's office to get the bill introduced next session.
The reasons and what I have observed for 1/2 to an hour:
1) It is very unsafe enivorment for people who use city bus such as if eldery woman trying to walk across street and get hit by car, and it is impossible for them to drop off wheelchair riders because if they drop the lift onto the street and wheelchair can't go around, have to go other way to get to ramp on curbs.
2) It causes some traffic jam when MTC bus trying to drop or pick up riders
3) School buses block the bus shelter, and some people who wait for bus, they miss the bus.
4) When MTC buses was ready to stop to drop people off but the bus decided to drop people off 3 blocks away (at University and Rice) instead.
My ideas in the letter was:
1) ban all school bus parking at bus shelter areas.
2) set up designated parking lot for school buses (they can drop students off then can park bus).
3)Mark curbs that show it is for MTC buses only (same idea, like yellow curbs for fire trucks), and make signs "MTC BUS STOP ONLY, no parking, only authorized MTC buses/ The curb would be different color but not yellow to consfuse with fire truck parking.
I also suggest that Capitol Security and Metro Transit to send out letters to school districts and charter buses, letting them know not to park too close or in front of bus shelter.
I am fighting for Capitol Security and bus riders rights. I am not sure if I will be asked to testifty in committee meetings next session but I will keep you updated when we start again in Jan 2005. We are expect to adjourn on monday the 17th.
