Monroe - Approximately six weeks ago, Coach USA/Short Line met with the Commuter Advisory Council in an Open Forum at the Monroe Senior Center in Monroe N.Y. This meeting, which was widely covered by local media, was put together by Orange County Legislator Greg Townsend; the topics on the table were bus safety, cleanliness, buses adhering to time schedules, rude drivers, parking lot safety and maintenance. Townsend, who has collected over 100 complaints from local commuters, designed the forum to allow the public to air their grievances directly to Short Line.
Christine Falzone, Director of Sales and Marketing for Short Line, attempted to respond to criticism leveled at Short Line, but fell short as it turns out Short Line had
still not addressed the same issues from previous meetings. When pressed about broken seats on buses, rude drivers, congestion at Port Authority gates, and safety issues, Falzone said she would once again bring this to the attention of the proper party.
David Markowitz, Travel Demand Manager of the Department of Transportation (DOT), assured riders there would be major improvements at all their parking facilities; lighting would be improved, trash receptacles would be provided, snow and ice removal would be handled earlier and the
Chester Park & Ride Short Line buses would be moving to a new lot which would open up approximately 50 more spaces at the facility. This is a short-term solution; a long term plan is to expand all Park and Ride facilities. Many of the Park and Ride lots, with the exception of the Route 17M and Harriman, and Washingtonville, are owned by the State and maintained by the County.
Townsend, who is closely following any issues with Short Line, said today “I am still receiving complaints from the public mostly regarding the same issues; it appears that Short Line has made marginal improvements in its service, but we hoped that Short Line would take these issues more seriously and come to the table with real solutions. The public has the right to expect a certain level of service, especially where safety is concerned.”
The Commuter Advisory Council has grown immensely since its conception, and key to its success are the hard working people who take the time to participate. Townsend also thanked the
Orange County Governmental officials who offered positive representation and forward thinking solutions to real problems.
If you would like to participate in the next Open Forum, please contact Greg Townsend online at www.gregtownsend.us.
