Bikes!

I have been spending a lot of time, energy and love on bikes.  I first felt the Lord's love and transcending Grace on a bike.   They are indeed the noblest invention...I recently got an eBike which makes me even more excited about their potential as vehicles.  

Teaching people to ride and helping them access bicycles is a worthy cause.  I think this news article captures that.  Certainly it reflects Scott Sexton's love of bikes https://journalnow.com/news/local/two-things-a-huge-milestone-on-two-wheels-acc-money-makers-and-congratulations-rams/article_7f515c34-b699-11ed-9ec6-d796deb5f3bd.html

Melissa's Stories

I hope to hear more and relay what I can from Melissa's experience as a bus rider. There are some sweet stories sprinkled in with the hard times of her being unable to drive. The other day a fellow passenger waiting at the transit center let her know that he and his buddy thought she was beautiful.  He said "he just had to tell her." 

Her stories of riding the bus brighten my day.  

What a year

One year ago was my last day behind the wheel of a city bus.  It was an emotional day made sweet by singing Christmas carols.  

A lot has happened since and I am grateful for the experience I gained during 2020. 

• Worked with City with Dwellings at the overflow homeless shelter
• Wrote an ebook for Stakeholder Health on public transportation
• Wrote a transit corridor report for CSEM
• Won a bus shelter public art contest
• Case investigation for COVID-19 for the Health Department
• Helped take the US Census as a NRFU
• Arrested at a Black Lives Matter Protest for John Neville
• Returned to WFSM to do project management

Spectrum News

Yesterday I was interviewed by Spectrum News https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triad/news/2020/08/28/winston-salem-uses-art-to-highlight-public-transportation about Marching for Mobility.

  

Greenways are Open

I am seeing a lot of greenway usage as a refuge during this trying time of COVID-19.  It is an opportunity to see the critical role of recreation in public health as people try to practice social distancing while maintaining their health.

It is encouraging that bike shops are considered critical and allowed to remain open as a transportation option.   I've been busy with Salem Bicycle Works.

I am posting my physical activity to https://www.strava.com/athletes/faithful_feet.

Marching for Mobility

Marching for Mobility
Digitally enhanced photography (2020)
By Phillip Summers
Waughtown and MLK Bus Shelter Proposal
https://www.cityofws.org/1267/Public-Art-Commission

This is my application. The deadline is 3/27/20.  Submit an application!

Mobility and freedom of movement have long been social justice issues. Unfortunately, we still live in a context of segregation and stagnation of economic mobility. And yet, improved public transportation has the potential to positively impact the lives of passengers and the community at large. The proposed public art project Marching for Mobility invites every one of us to see ourselves in the long struggle towards social justice.

Marching for Mobility features neighbors who are specifically involved in mobility justice. The percussionists in the picture work at the used tire shop across the street from the bus shelter. Their business of selling used tires helps make owning a car more affordable in Winston-Salem. The elder statesman (Mr. Wilson) in the picture (right) works with me to salvage bicycles, thanks to his side hustle of collecting scrap metal. (See Scott Sexton’s 2018 article for a wonderful explanation of how this effort is building social capital on the southside.) The piccolo player is a longtime friend (Maria) who I met riding transit. Through her eyes I have seen how the system needs to improve—how to become loving advocates we must listen to one another’s stories. The flute player is an educator in the public school system and a source of comfort to many neighborhood children. The two young horn players (my children) represent the next generation, the future of the social justice movement.

The bus shelter at the intersection of Waughtown and MLK Boulevard is a very important place to our neighborhood. The Southeast Neighborhood Association began requesting a shelter at this location more than two years ago. Today, the shelter serves many daily riders who are very grateful to have this new amenity. Adorning the new shelter with local art will further complement and celebrate the public transit rider experience here in Winston-Salem.

On February 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. preached “The Drum Major Instinct” from the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church. He concluded his sermon with the now-famous quote: “Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness.”

Carol Davis, who is a prominent member of our community, suggested this MLK quote. Carol’s vision and leadership through the SG Adkins Community Development Corporation has inspired many of us, and her suggestion to share this quote holds power. Carol, like each of the band members in the photo, sees herself as part of the march towards mobility.

The use of red as the prominent color in this artwork is intentional. It is the school color of the historically black university less than a mile north of the shelter. The marching band at Winston-Salem State University is nationally recognized for its excellence in the performing arts—again, something to celebrate.

I took the original photograph at the bus shelter, so that it could be scaled to near life-size. The .png file of the image has been uploaded with this application. I used the open-source applications of Paint Brush and Gimp to enhance the image with the quote and instruments, to convey the fact that we can all join MLK in the march toward social justice. The image follows the second proposal guidelines to be printed on vinyl by the Public Art Commission. I am grateful that the Public Art Commission is making this project accessible to creatives from all levels of experience and expertise. 

As a creative person, I have been a part of educational and documentary filmmaking, website and flier design, and the creation of academic posters. (Several samples of this type work can be found on my website www.BlindSpot.City.) I have included the original photography that became Marching for Mobility. I have included a picture of my custom bicycle. I chose every component and accessory on the bike to illustrate a joyous celebration. I see it as a celebration of active transportation in our city. I also included a picture of Mr. Wislon bringing bikes to my house. He posed for this photo with neighborhood kids who were recipients of the bikes. The photo conveys the connections that only caring neighbors can forge. Finally, I included a picture with my longtime passenger friend Maria, taken on the bus while I was a bus driver. We have been riding buses and talking about transit together for 10 years.

To improve the bus system in Winston-Salem is to ‘march with a drum major’ like Dr. King towards social justice. When we improve bus service, we bring passengers more social and economic mobility, more freedom, and more peace. Positive experiences—yes, simply waiting at the bus stop—help us have strong, righteous relationships with our neighbors and environment. Marching for Mobility captures that spirit: improve transit to improve our community.

Go to City Hall on February 17

Please join me at the public hearing of City Council at 7 pm on Monday, February 17th to speak up for public transportation.  The meeting will be in City Hall, 101 North Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.

Bus riders and advocates need to call for improved frequency of service.  Six routes enjoyed 30-minute frequency during the Business 40 Closure.  Currently, WSTA is planning on ending the service of those second buses on May 1st. 

Come speak up for expanded service across the entire public transportation system.  I hope that the service continues to expand and not be reduced.   You can see from the September ride per route ratio which routes will be affected. 

I believe that routes 92, 96, and 93, which provide service to the north and the east, deserve a second bus to improve their frequency from every hour to every 30 minutes.  Their ridership is currently 28, 26, and 21 rides per hour, respectively. 

Bus riders and advocates must speak up for the continued expansion of bus service as an economic mobility issue that has immediate community benefit.  Investing in public transportation is money well spent in an effort to develop our community and promote social justice.

NC BikeWalk Summit

I will be telling stories at the NC BikeWalk Summit on Saturday, November 9th in session 4 from 10-11am. I hope to inspire change.

As background on economic mobility, I plan to tell them that roughly 40% of Americans would struggle covering a $400 emergency expense like a broken down car (FRB).  Last week 3 different passengers asked route questions and sheepishly admitted they were new riders because of recent car trouble.  They represent the latent demand that I see in the ride per hour ratio.

I will explain why people run in an effort to catch the bus so they can "step up" in life even risking it at dangerous intersections.

I will advocate for counting every bus ride as a call for more safety infrastructure for pedestrians.

5 Bags Full

The volunteer effort to sweep the transit center resulted in five bags full of cigarette butts.  It took 10 people an hour and thirty minutes to collect such a quantity of butts. 

A passenger friend, a real God-send, worked as two men.  We all got a laugh out of the tool I fashioned to scrape the seams between the concrete slabs.  It was a rake handle with a screw protruding from the end and was affectionately named  “the butt cracker."

We left feeling tired but accomplished. We departed wondering how smoking in a public space can still be allowed?

Route Ride Per Hour Ratio

The Winston-Salem Transit Authority is on course to provide over 2.5 million rides in 2019. That is a big number that can be hard to grasp.  Breaking it down by route helps it add up.

I became a bus driver to experience first hand the power of public transportation and to help me understand the complex system.  As I drive around I have been thinking of a measure to use in comparing routes.  I came to the idea of using a ratio that compares ridership per hour of service.

 Table 1: WSTA ridership per route for September 2019.

Route	D	T	NSD	Rides	% Rides	Hrs	% Hrs	Rides/Hrs
87^	N	L	7	21,546	10.1	633.5	4.4	34.0
92	NE	L	6	11,969	5.6	428.0	3.0	28.0
96	E	L	7	12,798	6.0	497.5	3.5	25.7
93	E	C	7	9,747	4.6	475.0	3.3	20.5
91	N	L	6	8,367	3.9	428.0	3.0	19.5
83*	S	L	7	14,497	6.8	801.5	5.6	18.1
89	N	L	7	8,660	4.1	481.5	3.4	18.0
86	S	L	7	8,358	3.9	483.0	3.4	17.3
84	W	L	6	6,384	3.0	412.0	2.9	15.5
105*	SE	L	7	11,147	5.2	751.5	5.3	14.8
81/82	W	C	6	6,109	2.9	416.0	2.9	14.7
103*	W	L	7	10,762	5.1	733.5	5.1	14.7
94	E	L	7	7,156	3.4	493.5	3.5	14.5
88	N	L	5	3,548	1.7	260.0	1.8	13.6
102	SW	L	5	1,311	0.6	100.0	0.7	13.1
107*	W	L	7	9,121	4.3	713.5	5.0	12.8
106	N	L	7	6,065	2.8	485.5	3.4	12.5
98	NE	L	5	3,245	1.5	260.0	1.8	12.5
80*	W	L	7	8,815	4.1	733.0	5.1	12.0
109	NW	L	6	5,105	2.4	438.0	3.1	11.7
90	N	L	7	5,782	2.7	497.5	3.5	11.6
85*	W	L	6	7,819	3.7	678.0	4.8	11.5
104	S	L	7	5,501	2.6	483.0	3.4	11.4
101	SE	CT	7	5,129	2.4	473.5	3.3	10.8
97	N	C	6	3,958	1.9	422.0	3.0	9.4
95	W	L	5	4,289	2.0	480.0	3.4	8.9
110	E	C	5	956	0.4	120.0	0.8	8.0
108	S	C	7	2,971	1.4	485.5	3.4	6.1
99	W	CT	5	835	0.4	240.0	1.7	3.5
100	All	C	7	1,080	0.5	361.8	2.5	3.0
29				213,030	100	14265.8	100	14.9
D = Cardinal Direction | T = Type (Circular, Cross Town, Linear) | NSD = N Service Days
^ = has 2nd bus | * = 2nd Bus Funded by NCDOT B40

You can see that some of the routes are very popular and others are quiet.

I believe you can use this type of information to advocate for second buses on popular routes like 92 and 96.  For example I think the Place Matters Initiative should push for a second bus on route 96 that runs through their impact communities.  I have driven it and could feel the importance of the bus in those places.

What interesting things do you see in this information? 

This analysis is available on the web. The data was provided by the Winston-Salem Transit Authority in an email from the General Manager on 10/10/19.

Telling Stories

Steve Beck works to help us understand how stories shape our worldview.  One avenue he uses is his website https://cstevebeck.com. 

Writing stories and doing interviews about my experience as a bus driver helps me process my feelings. It helps me make sense of what I am seeing on my routes.

I am grateful for people like Steve Beck and Rachael Duane who compose stories of real hope.  Doing the interview below was an enriching experience. It also has been a source of encouragement because of its positive reception.

Please check it out at https://cstevebeck.com/new-blog/peacemaker-on-the-bus.

Steve Beck

Afraid

I am scared of the dark.  I didn't realize it until I started driving the night shift.   Working in the dark has brought out all my anxieties, fears, and worries.   I am unaccustomed to feeling afraid, and the stress of not getting good rest adds to the vicious cycle of feeling anxious. 

Being afraid was not part of my vocabulary, or maybe I was too fool-hardy to ever stop and recognize my fears. Doing adventurous things always seemed glamorous to me, not frightening.   I thought driving a bus would be an adventure, not such a lesson in hard knocks.   Driving at night this last month is kicking my butt and breaking my heart.   I am doubting whether or not I maintain it.

Driving a large vehicle in traffic with passengers is stressful enough, but when you add darkness it feels even more daunting.  While there is less traffic late at night, you do have the added burden of fatigue.  The weariness of both driver and passenger make the bus quiet at night.

Bus drivers are providing a service to people in service industries. Our hours of operation need to accommodate their schedules.   Many of our late-night passengers toil in kitchens, scrub buildings clean, and keep watch over a property.  They are either tired from a long shift or headed to work until morning.   The bus at night has a somber mood compared to morning or lunchtime as riders are tired.

At night you also have passengers seeking shelter and I worry about what they will find. I cannot forget the 60 ish-year-old woman, she could have been my aunt, anxiously asking me directions just as the last buses were departing from the transit center downtown.  It was 11:30 and she would have to make a decision about which bus to take because our service was about to end for the night. It became clear she was trying to decide where to go to be away from others, so she could camp out.  She boarded my bus no longer able to contain her fear about the long night ahead.   She continued to press me with questions about which areas in town she might find to be safe. I am heartbroken to think of what befalls the homeless during the night. 

I am a morning person, so driving from 4 pm until just after midnight is stretching me.  The worst fear I face is the self-doubt about whether my desire to improve public transportation will have any impact.  I think about all the reasons, large and small, that make it so easy for people to be overlooked.  Driving a bus at night makes me feel very small compared to the harsh realities I see.  I didn't mention the regular scary stuff like buses being shot at, passengers cussing at drivers and fellow passengers, fights, and passengers with health emergencies. To feel afraid is part of the stretch of growing pains and I hope my experiences help shine a light on the importance of improving public transportation for our community. 

Role Model

Clark Campbell was faithful.  

Clark Campbell drove a city bus for 45 years.  His contribution and legacy are so profound that though he retired in 1972 riders still remember him.   The transportation center downtown is named after him and he drove more than 3 million miles on our city's streets.

He is a role model because he built rapport with passengers and enjoyed a fruitful tenure in public service. One older gentleman loves to reminisce about his in-law Clark Campbell and the history of Winston-Salem. One morning I got up and stretched at the end of the bus route and he made an off-handed comment, "Clark Campbell always did that too. He would really stress getting up and stretching." 

For the rest of the trip, he regaled me with stories about his legendary relative.  He told me that he had a side lawn business and loved to stay busy. I plied him with questions about Campbell but was most intrigued by the tidbits he dropped about Campbell's faith.   He said that Campbell loved to sing hymns and Gospel music. 

I enjoy the conversations I get to have with passengers because I learn so much from them.  Seeing regular riders gives you a chance to have ongoing dialogue and gain insight into their life. I have been surprised by how close-knit passengers and drivers become.  I have met mothers, children, significant others, in-laws and, of course, cousins of fellow drivers. You meet all manner of households and kin riding together. Come Ride!

See the Traveler

Seeing "the traveler" is currently my favorite part of being a bus driver. Or is it the Spring weather? No, definitely it is seeing the beauty of humanity in the face of passengers, especially if I get to help them find their way. 

Have you read Khaled Hosseini's poetic short story, Sea Prayer, about refugees? My heart breaks when The mother says to her husband, "Oh, but if they saw, my darling. Even half of what you have. If only they saw.  They would say kinder things, surely." It breaks because I have seen. 

I got my first glimpse in high school on the soccer team when the recently arrived Hispanic immigrants were obviously skilled players but struggled academically due to the language barrier.  While witnessing others heap ridicule on them for their struggles to speak English,  my heart was nudged to find ways to make them feel welcome.   

The news of political unrest in Venezuela is troubling, where many have been forced to flee their homes to seek asylum.  Our friends who just came back from neighboring Colombia mentioned seeing vast numbers of Venezuelan immigrants looking for refuge in Colombia. Isn't it ironic that both that country and our nation's capital are named after an explorer who was seeking new land?  The Americas were settled by immigrants and political refugees.  It makes me wonder how many Americans are quick to forget our nation's history of welcoming the traveler. 

On my route last week I helped a mother and daughter from Venezuela to find their way to the West Campus of Forsyth Technical Community College.  As they rode my bus they confided feeling relief and surprise at meeting someone who could help them find their way in their dominant language.  As I talked with them in Spanish, I could see the anxiety on the mother's face melt away. Connecting newcomers to our community's resources is rewarding.

Also that week a first-time passenger flashed a smile and thrust her phone at me displaying an address to inquire about where she should get off the bus.  I could tell from my recent trip to Guerrero that she was from the Costa Chica region of Mexico.  Most of our neighbors in Waughtown are from there, so I had gone to see what they were fleeing from. My videos from the trip show the landscape and rudimentary fishing but they don't capture the drug/gang violence and the harsh racial tensions that deny many people of opportunity.  Our Guerrerroan neighbors come to America looking for opportunity.   

This new passenger was surprised that I readily helped her find her way in her own language. Like many Guerrerroans, she was amazed that I had been to her small village.   Later that week, when she rode my bus again, she had other questions about the schedule as she planned her commute to work.  It's a joy to help the traveler find opportunity in our community. 

Sara Groves' music has inspired me for years.  The song below she sings with her daughter. It is entitled "Jesus, See the Traveler."   It makes me wonder if our generation is leaving the next generation a legacy that values mercy and compassion for the traveler. Her song also makes me grateful for my job in public transportation because in my work I get to see and be part of the traveler's journey.

Melissa Rides to School

This morning I was encouraged by Melissa's example of active transportation. She commuted to school on her bike.  Watch the short vlog for action shots from her ride. 

Active communities have strong public transportation, pedestrian, and bicycle infrastructure.   Join the local movement to celebrate and strengthen our active transportation options. 

COME RIDE  ***Did you see that April 25 is a FARE FREE Day?*** 

Precious

Life is precious.   Driving the bus has given me new eyes to see how precious it is.  In the act of kneeling the bus for an elderly rider or counting a baby in the arms of her mother as a passenger, I get to see it.  Bus drivers are afforded a chance to know their passengers and are part of community building.

We made the short documentary film, "Bus Stop Jobs" to depict a day in the life of a passenger.  After the premiere of the film, the director said she loved how it shows how women find ways to support each other. I have shown the film many times to audiences such as policymakers and students.  In my repeated viewings I came to realize how much I admire both of its "sheroes." 

The film is a powerful 10 minute short that will inspire you.  You can imagine my joy the other day when I got to drive one of the stars.

WATCH Bus Stop Jobs on YouTube and COME RIDE with us!

SAFETY NOTE: Selfie taken while bus was secured