 | |
| Volume 17, Issue 2 | Summer 2005 |
St. Louis EXPO Chris BlockArrow Public Transit Lemmon, SD On Sunday, May 22, Jill Alkire and I traveled across the great state of South Dakota (I do mean from one corner to the other) and joined people from North and South Dakota to catch a bus from Sioux Falls to St. Louis, Missouri, to attend the Community Transit EXPO. We joined a fellow group of transit people in Pierre Sunday afternoon and spent a short night in Sioux Falls before boarding the bus at 4 a.m. I have just started my employment as a transportation director and I admit I do not often leave the Dakotas, so a road trip can be very exciting. We left a very green South Dakota and traveled approximately 12 hours, with breaks of course. My first impression of Missouri is LOTS of trees. St. Louis is a big city, the Arch was huge, the Metro was fast and the EXPO was grand. Being a new person in transit, I learned a lot of new aspects of the business from the different sessions and from visiting with other transit employees. I am not big on shopping, but the trade fair did make me want to put things on my wish list (the new folding wheelchair lifts and the backup alarms installed in the bumper are some cool items). We attended several sessions over the course of the week and learned about regulations, managing time, drug and alcohol regulations, preventative maintenance and more. We had a selection of sessions to attend. I was able to attend several. Being a new director, I attended the "Be a Leader" session. The presenters were Jeff Meilbeck and Carol Warlick. I learned to keep a positive attitude and watch for new opportunities to serve the public. Another session was on "Access to All." This involved the rights of people with disabilities. We were made aware of the use of volunteers to help people with disabilities become more independent. Some communities have coordinated a volunteer system to help people from their homes to the bus and to appointments, shopping, etc. This session was presented by Dan Dalton of Project Action in Washington D.C.; Rhonda Bailey, East Missouri Action Agency; and Stacey Levitt, Maximus-Tickets to Work Program in Alexandria. Devin Frankeberger from Mason County Transit CAC Board in Shelton, Wash., provided a session on "Disability Awareness -- A Ticket to Dignity." He talked about his experiences living with a disability. Some tips he suggested were announcing your location on a bus route, you may not ask if an animal is a service animal and be professional when speaking to a person with disabilities. Some people are nervous about approaching a person with mental and/or physical disabilities. You should introduce yourself and ask if they need assistance and how you can assist them. I have learned in my short time at Arrow Transit that vehicle maintenance is an ongoing process. A session on "Preventive Maintenance and Increasing Efficiency and Safety" stressed the importance of regular vehicle maintenance and having inspections done on a regular basis. This session was presented by Todd Schoenrock of Community Transportation Association in Washington, D.C., and Jeff Hickey, South Central Illinois Transit in Centralia, Illinois. Rachel Simon, the author of "Riding the Bus with My Sister" spoke to a large crowd. Her story is a true life experience. Her sister, Beth, an independent spirited woman who has developmental disabilities, spends her days riding city buses. Rachel spent a year riding with Beth and wrote a book about her experiences. The EXPO's final night was at the St. Louis City Museum. There was plenty of food and entertainment. People were playing with clay, making snowflakes out of animal shapes and sliding down tunnels. Entertainers were juggling with fire and weaving shoelaces. We met people from Washington, D.C., and the state of Washington and many places in between. I met people from North and South Dakota. It was great fun and I would love to go back to St. Louis, but it was sure good to be back in the Dakotas.
|
In this issue...
 |
