Editor’s Note: Today, Fresno City Council will be voting to decide the fate of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit project. If the City Council votes down the project they will send back $50 million in state and federal funds granted for the new system. Community members and advocates have joined together to show support for the project and it’s potential to bring better transportation access to many throughout the city. Fresno’s District 7 City Council Member Clint Olivier is currently opposed to the project. With one of the main BRT corridors planned to go through District 7, Letisha White wrote to her City Council Member to encourage his support for BRT, others in her district and youth throughout the city.
Dear Council Member Olivier,
My name is Letisha Diane White and I live in District 7. It is crucial for me and many people in my community that you vote Yes for the Bus Rapid Transit System. I am 18 years old and I attend Fresno City College. I rely on the bus to get me to school and work in North Fresno. The bus system that we have now is not very dependable.
To start off, I have to leave my home two hours before my appointments just to make sure I make it on time. I take school and work very seriously and it is important that I am there on time. If I am tardy three times that can result in me losing that class, which could hinder my educational progress.
Currently, I lose time I could use on homework, better sleep and getting ready for my day because the FAX system takes so long. Because a bus ride takes so much longer than a car would, I can’t afford for the bus to be chronically late and undependable. With buses arriving every fifteen minutes BRT is guaranteed to get us where we need to go on time. Although you might not see the value in the BRT system, it has the potential to help many in our community.
Read more at The kNOw
