GET riders: Stop parking in front of bus stops
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Disabled bus riders have a safety hazard that might surprise you. They often have a problem getting from the curb onto the bus, and the hazard could even be you.
The problem is drivers who park right in front of a bus stop. The problem is there is no marking at many bus stops that says "no parking."
Concerned passengers are working with Bakersfield city authorities and Golden Empire Transit District bus officials. And Eyewitness News has learned there is some progress on solving this problem.
"The bus has to stop out in the street," Stan Scharry explained. He's a mobility specialist who works with local disabled students.
If the bus is in the middle of the street, and not next to the curb -- that creates several hazards.
Brandy Midkiff is visually-impaired. She depends on the bus, and she's had some close calls.
"I went to step off the curb and get on the bus that double-parked to let me on," Midkiff said. She immediately had trouble dealing with the gutter and slope of the street.
"I tripped, even with my cane," Midkiff said. But that was only half the hazard. "I misjudged how far out the bus was, and so it put me out in the traffic a little bit."
Midkiff said she encounters this problem every day.
Eyewitness News checked for bus stops where cars were parked.
A spot at Truxtun and Myrtle had several vehicles lined up by the bus stop, and the GET bus had to pause in the traffic lane to let off a passenger.
At another stop on northbound Chester Avenue near 28th Street, the bus waited in busy traffic while a number of passenger filed off, and dodged between the parked cars.
Wednesday night, Midkiff and other disabled riders took their concerns to the Bakersfield City Council.
"I got word earlier today that we're going to to to the legislative committee," Scharry said on Friday morning. That's the council's litigation and legislation committee, and a city spokeswoman said their next session is February 21.
Bakersfield Police Sgt. Mary DeGeare said curbs can be painted red or white in front of a bus stop to ban parking. She said some of the areas may have badly-faded paint.
White zones generally mean no stopping or parking for anything other than loading or unloading passengers between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. except on Sundays.
Eyewitness News found some bus stops that appeared to have no paint on the curbs, and no signs banning parking.
We did find a bus stop at Truxtun Avenue and "L" Street with signs specifically saying "no parking, bus loading zone."
GET bus spokeswoman Gina Hayden shares the concerns of the disabled riders about parking in front of bus stops.
"It is an issue," Hayden told Eyewitness News. She said they need more red curbing, but GET can't do that without city approval.
She agreed with the disabled riders that right now is the perfect time to tackle the problem. GET is developing a new route system, and some bus stops could be moved or eliminated.
Midkiff said makes a great opportunity to deal with the parking issue.
"What better time to get this to happen, because GET can paint curbs, or do what they need to do, as they're making these changes."
She wants to see no parking zones at bus stops everywhere in Kern County. "We want to make this to be an across-the-board rule," Midkiff said.
The bus route reorganization is planned to be in place by this Fall, according to GET's Gina Hayden.
Mobility specialist Stan Scharry hopes in the meantime, drivers will choose not to park in front of bus stops. That will help disabled passengers get to and from buses safely.
"We need to eliminate as many of the barriers as we can," Scharry said. "This is one pretty simple way to eliminate a major barrier for them."
The problem is drivers who park right in front of a bus stop. The problem is there is no marking at many bus stops that says "no parking."
Concerned passengers are working with Bakersfield city authorities and Golden Empire Transit District bus officials. And Eyewitness News has learned there is some progress on solving this problem.
"The bus has to stop out in the street," Stan Scharry explained. He's a mobility specialist who works with local disabled students.
If the bus is in the middle of the street, and not next to the curb -- that creates several hazards.
Brandy Midkiff is visually-impaired. She depends on the bus, and she's had some close calls.
"I went to step off the curb and get on the bus that double-parked to let me on," Midkiff said. She immediately had trouble dealing with the gutter and slope of the street.
"I tripped, even with my cane," Midkiff said. But that was only half the hazard. "I misjudged how far out the bus was, and so it put me out in the traffic a little bit."
Midkiff said she encounters this problem every day.
Eyewitness News checked for bus stops where cars were parked.
A spot at Truxtun and Myrtle had several vehicles lined up by the bus stop, and the GET bus had to pause in the traffic lane to let off a passenger.
At another stop on northbound Chester Avenue near 28th Street, the bus waited in busy traffic while a number of passenger filed off, and dodged between the parked cars.
Wednesday night, Midkiff and other disabled riders took their concerns to the Bakersfield City Council.
"I got word earlier today that we're going to to to the legislative committee," Scharry said on Friday morning. That's the council's litigation and legislation committee, and a city spokeswoman said their next session is February 21.
Bakersfield Police Sgt. Mary DeGeare said curbs can be painted red or white in front of a bus stop to ban parking. She said some of the areas may have badly-faded paint.
White zones generally mean no stopping or parking for anything other than loading or unloading passengers between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. except on Sundays.
Eyewitness News found some bus stops that appeared to have no paint on the curbs, and no signs banning parking.
We did find a bus stop at Truxtun Avenue and "L" Street with signs specifically saying "no parking, bus loading zone."
GET bus spokeswoman Gina Hayden shares the concerns of the disabled riders about parking in front of bus stops.
"It is an issue," Hayden told Eyewitness News. She said they need more red curbing, but GET can't do that without city approval.
She agreed with the disabled riders that right now is the perfect time to tackle the problem. GET is developing a new route system, and some bus stops could be moved or eliminated.
Midkiff said makes a great opportunity to deal with the parking issue.
"What better time to get this to happen, because GET can paint curbs, or do what they need to do, as they're making these changes."
She wants to see no parking zones at bus stops everywhere in Kern County. "We want to make this to be an across-the-board rule," Midkiff said.
The bus route reorganization is planned to be in place by this Fall, according to GET's Gina Hayden.
Mobility specialist Stan Scharry hopes in the meantime, drivers will choose not to park in front of bus stops. That will help disabled passengers get to and from buses safely.
"We need to eliminate as many of the barriers as we can," Scharry said. "This is one pretty simple way to eliminate a major barrier for them."
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