WENA Urges Neighbors to Weigh In
The WENA Board is writing today to alert our West End neighbors and other members of the public who may be unaware of the proposed elimination of the Metro Bus Routes 8 & 1 to be replaced by a “Circulator” route. The current proposal will eliminate stops throughout the West End neighborhood, as well as substantial changes to the remainder of the route. You may see a map of this proposal at wenamaine.org/bus-route.
The #8 serves hundreds of people in the West End who have no alternative to the bus for a variety of reasons: disability, financial circumstances, age, environmental concerns, etc. Our neighborhood has elderly and disabled housing, apartment buildings large and small, group homes, sober houses, even single-family homes with people who don’t/won’t/can’t drive and who depend on Metro getting them where they need to go. Loss of bus access for these folks is loss of access to necessities including groceries and medications.
The Metro was planning to finalize these route changes within the next couple of weeks and launch the changes in the second half of 2022. However, at a meeting of Metro’s Ridership Committee on March 18th, members and staff agreed to revisit their proposals for several “hot spots” including 77 Pine, 100 State, and Hannaford, and to hold more public sessions in April and May to present and discuss changes.
Due to the pandemic, sessions will be online via Zoom. We recognize the difficulties this presents for many in being able to participate and we will post any meetings we are aware of to our website, FB and NextDoor.
We urge all neighbors to weigh in by emailing info@gpmetro.org or taking our survey at wenamaine.org/bus-route.
Safe streets, cleared sidewalks, engaged neighborhoods, and convenient access to medical care and other necessities make urban life safer and healthier for everyone. Please stay informed and participate as much as you are able.
Thank you,
Kim Sutton, West End Neighborhood Association President
Voice Your Concerns
The 30 year ‘Transit Tomorrow’ plan for public transportation in greater Portland, described in the March 25 Press Herald, is commendable. I wish the planners who came up with the proposed Metro bus routes shared the same vision. By detouring the #8 bus route away from West End housing, Congress St., and Hannaford Forest Ave. they are definitely not making “public transportation easier to use, more convenient, accessible and reliable…”
If you use Metro, I urge you to look up your route at:
https://gpmetro.org/DocumentCenter/View/700/REV—Proposed-Route-Changes-REV-11242020?bidId=
and voice your concerns.
-Barbara DeSerres, West End
