I did a smidgeon of surfing, based on some of the feedback I have already
gotten, and it occurs to me that the rail plan I have been working on for
about a zillion years is the perfect place to start.  For a little
background:  I live in teh San Francisco Bay Area.  The Capitol Corridor --
an Amtrak route -- runs through my county but we only have one stop on it.
We have the longest stretch of of the Capitol Corridor line without a stop.
The county would like to build 3 new stations -- but, in my not so humble
opinion, in all the wrong places.

I went to some planning meetings a zillion years ago and someone with the
county transportation authority asked me to come to a transit meeting and
give my views.  But I never made it because I took off for GIS school on
short notice.  I needed a project for some of my GIS classes and I ended up
working on the county rail plan.  I did additional research on it in an
Environmental Economics class winter quarter of 2003 (a year ago).  So I
have thousands of dollars worth of GIS analysis and environmental and
economic analysis showing that there is a better way to distribute the
proposed stations.  As of 6 months ago, they had not broke ground on any of
them (in the works for 8 years now) and were still doing environmental
studies.  It is not too late to change it.

My plan would be much friendly to people with disabilities and to low income
folks, etc.  Their plan is this upper-middle class exercise in building
stations in the middle of nowhere and then ensuring there is plenty of
nearby parking.  As a handicapped person who sometimes takes the bus or has
my husband drive me because there are days when it is not safe for me to
drive, and as someone in a family with only one car, I look at their plan
and wonder who in heck it is intended to serve.  If we had two cars and good
health to drive all over the place to get to the train station, why on earth
wouldn't I just drive to where I want to go?

I found an Independent Living group in my county and I know there is a group
that advocates for transit.  I also would like to write to the Capitol
Corridor authority and ask that they not give the okay to the county's
existing plan (I don't think they have yet, but I am not sure anymore).  Who
else should I try to talk to get some one of credibility (other than a
handicapped mom and part time college student) advocating for the plan that
grows out of all this research -- research the county never did.  They paid
for a study "to pick the best sites" AFTER the cities within the county had
already decided which cities would get to have a station!

Here is where you can find the link to my booklet that summarizes my
research (if you care to see it):
[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]

All of this will be moving to a new site, hopefully within a few weeks.  I
bought a couple of domain names so that I can split my site up between the
homeschooling stuff and the career-related stuff so I can launch a business.
But this is what I have for now.

Anyway, to reiterate the question:  does anyone have any suggestions for how
I can get the word out and start my grass roots movement and stop the county
from committing a travesty?

Michele

[log in to unmask]

[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]

"Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created
 them."
- Albert Einstein.

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