Cars For Everyone With All Ranges of Abilities And A Smart Way to Keep Down Emissions

Listen to how Henry Ford's grandson envisions the future of transportation!!

Driving Simulator

When my little one gets older I am going to see if I can find a driving simulator like this one for her to practice on before we get behind the wheel.

I am sure I will be able to teach her to drive. But I don't know if she should be on the road routinely. But...I also wondered if she would ever stop reversing her pronouns, or if she would ever make a real friend, and she did.

Autistic Driving School Promo

NYC -BRT!

Bumps In the Road

(This affects everyone, but it particularly affects parents who have children with autism since we want them to have transportation options beyond driving when they reach driving age.) 

Two nights ago I hurried downtown to the County Commission public meeting in my shorts and T-shirt/PJ's after being dismayed at what I saw of the meeting on TV. A motion had sprung up, one little motion that would have enormous, enormous consequences.  I went, I said my piece (I was nervous because I had never spoken at one of these meetings before), but to no avail. After hearing from the public, Commissioners voted to take the quarter-cent transit tax's well earned spot on the November ballot,  OFF the ballot.

WHY IS THIS SUCH A BIG DEAL?

Gainesville just didn't know what was at stake at this meeting. It seemed there were only the "regulars" there... the professional complainers. I suppose that most of us are just busy. The meetings are on school nights. We trust that Gainesville is a forward-thinking, intelligent town and we trust that the decisions made by our County leaders will benefit the future of Gainesville, so why go right? For the past 3 years, the Gainesville community has been supporting the transformation to transit...which is what made Tuesday's vote to kill the transit quarter-cent tax's spot on the ballot, so particularly outrageous. 

TRANSFORMATON TO TRANSIT?
With one swing vote, Gainesville's path turned from an exciting future of clean, efficient transit (fuel-efficient busses that look like trains, new dedicated transit lanes, bike paths and clean air)....to just growing into a city of bigger roads, increasing traffic jams and burning more oil. 

Dedicated Transit Lanes

The transit future was a win-win situation...it was/is modeled after the successes of Eugene, Oregon, (see link for info and video below). Eugene is a similar sized and populated college town that has finished its transformation of the same endeavor. I ask you, What city would you rather move to and visit, one with excellent transit and bike paths, or one with lanes and lanes of tarmac and parking lots?


WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN...

If the tax made it to the ballot and was voted for (which was projected in a poll), then the federal government would have matched the funds raised with the tax, and money would pour in to fund the transformation. There are 3 large new private sector developments approved to build in Gainesville as transit-oriented developments (TOD's). This isn't a pipe dream. This is a very exciting reality but it will be absurd if their transit can't link around town. The lack of meeting our end of the bargain for such innovative plans, also might push these developments away. 

Gainesville citizens should speak out about having their voting voice silenced. Please let your commissioners know how you feel about this. This email address goes out to the entire commission: bocc@alachuacounty.us


Please feel free to share this on your Facebook page and also, please email me with any questions. 

Autism, and How To Use Bus Rapid Transit

Here is a great article about teaching kids with autism how to use transit.

And here is an interesting video where someone walks you through a ride on the BRT.

I know that many people with autism will not ever be able to use transit by themselves. But this is a good option for people with moderate to high functioning autism, people with severe ADD,  or PDD, and for those who suffer from seizures or any other neurological disorder that keeps one from safely driving.

OK and here is just a really cool video about autism :)

Support Transit for Autism

Although many people with autism may not have the attention span to safely drive, they may be high functioning enough to successfully use good public transportation. Now 1 in 88 children are diagnosed with Autism and one day soon these kids are going to be adults and will be old enough to need to go to the store or to work on their own. Most small town/city bus systems are not adequate to get people around town with total ease.

Because of this I always thought that when my daughter with High Functioning Autism got to that age where she wanted to get around independently, that we would have to move to a city with good public transportation. Although she has expressed interest in driving one day, I feel like her attention span is not good enough for her to ever safely drive. The sad part of this is that we love Gainesville and I don’t want to move. All of our friends are here, our careers and family are here. We don’t want to move. But maybe we won’t have to.

There are two different transport directions a growing town/city can move in:
1. Huge roads and overpasses or
2. Better alternative transportation such as bus rapid transit, bike paths and rail.


I strongly believe that all communities should move in the direction of transit. Here is why...it isn’t only about a more pleasurable commute to work anymore, it is about :

1. LOVE -Everyone either knows or loves someone with autism and we want them to have the option for independent mobility around town if they are not able to drive.

2. SAFETY - There are people on the road now who wouldn’t be if there were good, safe, welcoming and user-friendly transit alternatives such as the lovely, clean, college town of Eugene, Oregon’s Bus Rapid Transit System. This alternative will reduce accidents if people are not forced to get behind the wheel to get around town efficiently and conveniently.

3. CONVENIENCE - If you don’t plan on ever using transit because you love your car, supporting transit will help clear the roads for you so you don’t have to sit in growing traffic jams. 20 people on the bus in front of you means 20 less cars on the road in front of you.

4. PLEASURE-You don’t have to use bus rapid transit system every day. Some days you can take your car to work if you know you have to pick up some groceries on the way back. Other days you can use the transit so you can sit back and read or play video games on your phone during your commute.


My biggest concern for my daughter’s future is her mobility. Driving is a huge issue for people with HFA , Aspergers, ADD and ADHD. I lost a sister and her baby to a car accident. I know how dangerous the roads can be. We want to keep our loved ones safe and the best way we can help keep our kids/friends/grandchildren/siblings/cousins with autism safe, is to support transit.


What can you do?

1.Vote for penny taxes (or sometimes quarter penny taxes like here in Gainesville) to build transit in your town.
2. Vote for City and County Commissioners who support transit development over road development,.
3. Write to your politicians.
4. Share this on your Facebook page to make everyone aware that is something we can do for the future of our kids with autism.