I love that Lanta television commerical when the yuppie puts his $900 carbon frame bicycle on the bike rack at the front of the bus. That yuppie is Steve Schmitt and today is "Try Transit Day". Once a month The Coalition for Appropriate Transportation and Lanta try to induce the middle class to be green and take public transportation. You many recall several months ago we saw photographs and footage of Mayor Ed taking the bus to promote this farce. I've spent considerable time at the new Lanta Detention Center and I can tell you most of the prisoners are not there for environmental reasons. Most of them cannot afford a car and the associated expenses, especially now. Schmitt, a biking enthusiast, was on Lanta for eight years and is responsible for Lanta outfitting their buses with bike racks. Steve now heads the Coalition (Cat) and organized today's protest against Wegman's. He wants "to illustrate how difficult it is bus riders to reach businesses that do not have Lanta stops on or near their property." While on the Lanta Board Schmitt defended the relocation of the bus stops off of Hamilton Street to the Terminal several blocks away. He stated Hamilton merchants were looking for something to complain about, and he would have to see their accounting books before believing business was down. Steve, thanks for the bike racks, and reducing revenue 40% on Hamilton street, keep up the good work.
Michale, I don't know where tyou get the notion that you can get a nice carbon frame bicycle for just $900. Having said that, those bike frames are a great idea. Vyclists formerly would bring their bikes onto the buises with them, where they were a safety hazard and took up room.
ReplyDeleteS.S. acted like a real jerk during the Hamilton Street fiasco, and that is the main reason why he is no longer a part of that board. He was replaced by Stoffa.
But I believe LANTA exists to maximize the number of locations available to its customers. Although Wegmans is one of the top employers in the LV, the people who work there can't get there by bus. I don't believe it can hold itself out to the public while excluding bus traffic. S.S. is right on this one.
bernie, i know you also used to use a bike and bus, but your also an odd ball. i see buses all day with empty bike racks and i see hamilton street with greatly reduced foot traffic, that's his legacy. per store volume, wegman's is the valley's most successful grocer, also as you noted, rated a top place to work, but not that large of an employer. i'll side any day with wegman's decision making ability over schmidts.
ReplyDeleteWegman's seems not to have a problem getting good employees even without having them delivered to their front door by bus. They seem to like suburban locations with suburban amenities and suburban sensibilities in their workforce. Maybe that's why it's such a pleasant place to shop. They have not of the horrors of the inner city that so many of us fled.
ReplyDeleteanon 6:59, my guess is they have a significant number of employee's who take the bus and walk the two blocks or so. its funny, but steve schmitt has no problem about the hamilton street shoppers walking two blocks, or the portland place college kids walking, but their so concerned about the wegman's access.
ReplyDeleteMM...excellent point on SS. What do you think LANTA thinks of Schmidt hijacking the promo for the benefit of his grievences? The bus company's boss didn't seem thrilled in his Call comment.
ReplyDeleteanon 2:43, although they may disagree about that particular publicy, unfortunately, generally they are all on the same page. I've attended a number of board meeting from different groups. they're too often rubber stamps.
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