Is Rochester Getting an Intermodal Transportation Center?

So last night City Council voted on Int. No. 382 (Authorizing an application and agreement for funding for the Rochester Intermodal Transportation Center).

Boy, was I surprised and excited to think they had woken up.   Finally they had figured out that a silly bus barn on Mortimer Street was NOT the answer to the problem.   Not only was I wrong, but I was even more upset to hear what was really taking place.

I want to take one step back and say that I agree we need a center for folks waiting for the bus.   If we are going to run a hub and spoke system, which I understand can also be debated, then we need a facility for folks to wait for transfers.   I do not agree that putting it in the middle of a street that City Council itself designated back in 2003 to be a retail and residential area is the right place.

So here I was, excited that City Council knew what they were doing, and decided to follow many cities, domestic and international, by locating all public transportation in a single center.   Train, Greyhound, taxis, and yes, the RTS buses.

Wrong!

I asked Council member Carolee Conklin after the meeting about this.   She explained that the train station is in need of being rebuilt.

So I asked the logical question, "Are we going to see the error of our ways and locate all public transportation within one center?"   She advised that this is not the case.

For the record, Conklin is the only person on City Council to vote against Mortimer Street.   She too has more than an ounce of logic.   I asked if there is a chance to redo all of this and do the logical thing.   It doesn’t look like this is going to be the case.

All I ask is this:   what is City Council doing?   Is it not able to look to the future?   Most members of City Council are younger and, I would think, are able to look down the road a bit.   Apparently not the case.   All on City Council are in the Democratic Party.   The party that calls itself "progressive."

Definition of "progressive:"

1. Moving forward; advancing.

2. Proceeding in steps; continuing steadily by increments: progressive change.

3. Promoting or favoring progress toward better conditions or new policies, ideas, or method.

Does this latest poor choice look in any way progressive?

I hope that all Council members think long and hard about the choice they have to make.   They get one more bite at the apple, I believe, to be able to do some good for the City in connection with Mortimer Street and an intermodal hub.

May they choose wisely.