I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, where I lived for 9 years of my life before moving to Chicago.  We moved to Chicago because my mother was seeking a new and better life for her children because my parents were planning to divorce.  My memory prior to moving from Louisiana is that my mother did not drive so of course she did not have a car.  When my father was no longer part of the family, we had to rely on others to take us to doctor appointments, grocery stores and other essential activities that were usually a great distance away.  At that time in New Orleans, the bus service was not very adequate.  Buses were few and did not run with great frequency in the 9th Ward. I do remember having a bicycle and often told my mother that she did not have to worry because I could go to the grocery store for her on my bike.  I was just a child trying to offer a helping hand to the family anyway I could.  Biking to the store was of course out of the question due to the distance and a lets’ be real, how much could a small basket on the front of my bike truly hold for a family of five.

We soon moved to Chicago and I felt that we had hit the mother load.  There was a bus stop practically on every corner!  We were in a big city that had transit available so we could get to appointments, shopping or wherever we wanted to go easily.  This was a great relief for my mother because she is a very proud person and would rather do things for her children by herself.  I am sure there many people that feel the same way and don’t want to rely on others to get them everywhere.  For that reason, it puzzles me that our legislative body is having difficulties coming to some type of agreement on funding for mass transit.  Transit is vital to many people who can’t afford the expense of car ownership or just don’t want to drive.  The current transit crisis could be a great hardship for many families that are just trying to go to work, school, doctor appointments and other obligations. 

Today I am thankful that I can go to my garage and get my car out and drive to wherever I want to go but I also like having the convenience of walking one block to the Metra station or two blocks to catch a Pace bus and a mere four blocks to a CTA bus stop. I would like this region to continue to have a transit system that is accessible to all.  This region should have a transit system that continues to grow and connect city-to-suburb and suburb-to-suburb and is well maintained.  If I am around to see that happen, I will be just as excited as that wide eyed 9 year old that arrived in the big city so many years ago.

I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, where I lived for 9 years of my life before moving to Chicago.  We moved to Chicago because my mother was seeking a new and better life for her children because my parents were planning to divorce.  My memory prior to moving from Louisiana is that my mother did not drive so of course she did not have a car.  When my father was no longer part of the family, we had to rely on others to take us to doctor appointments, grocery stores and other essential activities that were usually a great distance away.  At that time in New Orleans, the bus service was not very adequate.  Buses were few and did not run with great frequency in the 9th Ward. I do remember having a bicycle and often told my mother that she did not have to worry because I could go to the grocery store for her on my bike.  I was just a child trying to offer a helping hand to the family anyway I could.  Biking to the store was of course out of the question due to the distance and a lets’ be real, how much could a small basket on the front of my bike truly hold for a family of five.

We soon moved to Chicago and I felt that we had hit the mother load.  There was a bus stop practically on every corner!  We were in a big city that had transit available so we could get to appointments, shopping or wherever we wanted to go easily.  This was a great relief for my mother because she is a very proud person and would rather do things for her children by herself.  I am sure there many people that feel the same way and don’t want to rely on others to get them everywhere.  For that reason, it puzzles me that our legislative body is having difficulties coming to some type of agreement on funding for mass transit.  Transit is vital to many people who can’t afford the expense of car ownership or just don’t want to drive.  The current transit crisis could be a great hardship for many families that are just trying to go to work, school, doctor appointments and other obligations. 

Today I am thankful that I can go to my garage and get my car out and drive to wherever I want to go but I also like having the convenience of walking one block to the Metra station or two blocks to catch a Pace bus and a mere four blocks to a CTA bus stop. I would like this region to continue to have a transit system that is accessible to all.  This region should have a transit system that continues to grow and connect city-to-suburb and suburb-to-suburb and is well maintained.  If I am around to see that happen, I will be just as excited as that wide eyed 9 year old that arrived in the big city so many years ago.