How about a task force objective to make sure the bus garage can even work, as planned. The assurancescouncilreceived and accepted from the RGRA about how the intersection of main and clinton seemed so patently unconvincing that questions of competance or even malfeasance seemed obvious to anyone paying close attention.
For example, the RGRTA designes assigned a level of service rating for the intersection AFTER the project of "C". Yet main street inboth directions is ALREADY a level of "D", andthis is before 80 bus turns and 40 more buses are added to this very congested corner each hour . (The additional buses are a result of eastbound going through the intersection twice as it drives in circles through downtown.

How about a task force noticing what will be happening to bus service as passengers all over the rest of the system will wait longer, for fewer buses as massive resources are wasted driving buses in circles downtown and operating this enourmous station. ( Perhaps then at least we would no longer be subjective to the absurd notion that somehow this bus station was in any way an advantage to bus riders)

A council task force that noticed how the promise of the Saint Paul Corridor as a historic and vibrant residential section of downtown is slowly, slowly caused to slip away as a result of the acceptance of this plan. They could notice the damage to the city's tax base as well.

I would wager that the vote to approve the trnsfer of mortimer street to the RGRTA was unprecedented in councils history, in the sense that at no other time did a council ever vote for a plan after sitting a listening to HOURS of uniformly negative comments from some extremely capable and articulate people. The lone exception was Heidi Zimmer myer who spoke last on behalf of those who would profit DIRECTLY from the project.

As a lifelong Democrat, it was horrifying to see the long term interests of the city sold out for some very short term concerns by those who would call themselves Dems. These task forces are little more than feeble efforts to add legitimacy to a project that has none.

my apologies to readers... the previous comment was sent accidentally prior to a final edit... I think with just a little patience when reading the points are still made.

Has anyone else noticed that when there was 120 million, the bus terminal would could 120 million. Then when there was "only" 52 million available now it suddely is a 52 million project.... hmm.... yet another red flag suggesting the station is really just an excuse to spend the money, and not legitimate in its stated purposes.

With the globe warming, and transportation costs rising, and the gulf oil spilling, perhaps most dissapointing about the ill advised bus station plan that is it is coming INSTEAD of real transportation planning with a real vision ( based on real public input) of how best to create real transit options for downtown. Over and over again at the public hearings speakers implored council to step back and help initiate such a long overdue process. They punted on that and instead will spend endless hours trying to make an extremely bad plan slightly "less bad"( which is basically the story of the downtown bus terminal planning process, from its inception, 12 years ago).

I've been watching this project for what, 10 years? The utter negativity, anger, and self-destructiveness of the city council and city hall types in Rochester is just unbelieveable. You would think they'd welcome a solution for the fact that Rochester's downtown is dead (not dying, dead) and there are virtual riots on street corners while what's left of the business community looks on in horror. Instead, these goofy city council members (who is Matt Haag, other than someone who obviously doesn't have a clue?) make idiotic comments like "we're being a transportation security force" -- no you're not -- you're in charge of the police department and these problems are in your city. Suck it up and take responsibility for the mess, stop whining incessently about everything, and build something so Rochester stops decaying and shrinking. Rochester has to be one of the only cities in America where arguing about everything has become an art form, and then people wonder why nothing gets done, the population shrinks and downtown crumbles.

Yeah, that's like saying the NYPD shouldn't patrol Penn Station. Foolish...

The issue is that the RGRTA, the Genesee Transportation Council and city government have not developed a long-term public transportation plan for Rochester/Monroe County. The "Palumbo Bus Barn" is simply an attempt to cover-up the negligence of not having any vision or plan for public transportation. Put the bus station at MidTown Plaza, where there was (and still is-although closed) a sort-of multi-modal bus station on Broad Street with an inside passenger waiting area and service counter and a very wide E.Broad Street that can accomodate additional bus stalls.MidTown redevelopment can certainly use another $52 million in public funding to make the project somewhat feasible. And it's just across the street from the offices of the Rochester Downtown Development Corp., so their staff will have convenient access to public bus service (HA!)

Will Condo, au contraire. Rochester has more long-term plans, strategic plans, master plans and every other type of assorted plans than you can imagine. Remember Renaissance 2010? And the GTC is IN the planning business -- that's all they do. The problem isn't having plans, its that we never implement anything because we wind up arguing about everything. Louise Slaughter has been talking about planning for rail improvements for about 20 years, yet nothing has been done. The Rochester train station is still an embarrassment and we lost out on funding for upgrades, pretty much. As for downtown, every time someone comes up with a bright idea, about 20 people knock it down. Maybe its time to throw in the towel and give up...time to move to Texas or the Carolinas?

"every time someone comes up with a bright idea, about 20 people knock it down."

When was the last time a GOOD idea for downtown was "knocked down."? Some proposals are BAD ideas and deserve opposition.

You are correct in saying we have a lot of plans. Implementing is the problem. But implementing plans takes visionary leadership and the possibility of offending some interest group. Our elected leadership (or lack thereof) is far too timid to risk offending some person or group. And they are not smart or talented enough to be able to articulate a long-term vision that may involve short-term or localized compromises.

B sarbane-

I can undertand your frustration with the slow pace of things, but perhaps this analogy will help you to appreciate what is actually going on here-

Let's say you have an extremely painful stone in your shoe that makes walking difficult. The suggestion comes in to amputate the foot, as this will solve the problem of foot pain when walking. Then various interests pile on their point of view-- the ambulance drivers, orthopedists, physical therapists, prosthetic makers etc. (those who would benefit fianancially) who all point out how you will never experience foot pain again due to a stone in your shoe, and anyway, this plan will create lots of jobs, paid for by insurance companies and (its free to you!).

Your protestations that this plan lacks common sense, will cause long term damage, or that it is a solution completely out of scale with the problem is drowned out by decision makers more responsive to those industries that will benefit and people who complain of others "negativity" and lack of interest in "progress".

Meanwhile, media reports focus on how much improved prosthetics are and how much pain the stone in your shoe has been causing and aall the new jobs that will created with "free" money by this new plan.

In fact, for the last 12 years there has NOT been any discussion as to how to improve transit downtown or anywhere else in our area. All of the oxygen in this issue has been consumed by discusion of a bus terminal that clearly lacks any justifiable rationale, public support or any overall vision for an energy-volitile future. City hall has consistantly punted on the larger questions involved ("It;s not our project " is what is said over and again) until they are forced into some last minute hobson's choice.

Virtually every critic of this plan has had a far better alternative, usually centering on a multi-modal station at the train station, with a bus passenger comfort station closer to the center of town. If you are to point fingers, point them at extremely passive City Hall leaders and an extremely stubborn and unnaccountable RGRTA authority.

andrew, you seem quite knowledgeable on the issue of the downtown transit station. Is it too late to stop it in it's current form? What action(s) can be taken, and by whom, to stop it? If by some chance it were to be stopped, would federal funding be lost? It just seems that RGRTA has had it's mind made up for several years now and is too far along in the process to go back to the drawing board.