MY REPLY LETTER LAST NIGHT (EXCLUDING ATTACHED PHOTOS I SENT WITH THAT LETTER) TO SAMANTHA LOPEZ-RESENDEZ, THE FEMALE ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR AND POLICY ANALYST FOR DISTRICT 48 STATE REPRESENTATIVE DONNA HOWARD OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE

 

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: John McMillan <mcmillanj@att.net>

To: Samantha Lopez <samantha.lopez@house.texas.gov>; Senator Sarah Eckhardt Constituent Assistance <district14.eckhardt@senate.texas.gov>; State Senator Kirk Watson Constituent Services Rep. Walcott (2016) <keysha.walcott@senate.texas.gov>; State Senator Sarah Eckhardt 2020 <sarah.eckhardt@senate.texas.gov>; Austin Police Dept. Asst. 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Sent: Friday, June 25, 2021, 09:54:00 PM CDT

Subject: Re: bus stop still fails for visually impaired

June 25, 2021

Ms. Administrative Director Samantha Lopez-Resendez of the Office of House District 48 State Representative Donna Howard,

Thank you for your very helpful and encouraging reply note (below). I appreciate your very admirable diligence in helping to address the needs of visually impaired Capital Metro passengers here in the Austin area of Texas.

Your reply letter has prompted me to raise the additional issue at this time of whether Cap Metro has a current policy for each and every bus stop in the Austin area of posting in braille the Bus Stop ID information and bus route or bus routes ID information.

I was reminded today of this additional issue when I waited in north Austin for a Cap Metro 324-route bus  at about 6 p.m. today (Friday, June 25) at Cap Metro bus stop number 3120. That "Bowling Green" bus stop is located on the south side of Ohlen Road, about 10 (?) feet west of the intersection with Bowling Green Drive. 

Attached (see that and other photos from today at the very bottom of this reply letter) is a photo I took this Friday evening at that bus stop along Ohlen Road. Please note that the posted display sign for that bus stop apparently does not include any bus stop ID in braille or bus route  information in braille for the visually impaired. Some visually impaired persons may not be aware that only one bus route, the Cap Metro 324 route, stops at that particular eastbound bus stop.

I also regard it as alarming that someone had apparently unlocked the door to the trash can (attached photo) at that bus stop along Ohlen, and left the door extending outward. That type of disrespectfulness toward Cap Metro property suggests a need for further study to obtain insights about why passengers and others situated at a Cap Metro bus stop would conduct themselves in that type of irresponsible manner. 

The graffiti on that Cap Metro trash can (see attached photo) at that bus stop along Ohlen Road also significantly undermines the consistent professionalism that Cap Metro bus service takes pride in providing to Central Texans and visitors to the Austin area. The presence of graffiti at a Cap Metro bus stop can hinder prospective passengers' ability to look upon Cap Metro as a safe mode of public transportation for themselves and others. Many prospective or current passengers may interpret the presence of graffiti as a Cap Metro bus stop as an indication that an illicit youth gang or adult criminal persons had "taken over" or "seized" that bus stop as "theirs" by pursuing criminal mischief and vandalism that announces their illicitly "proprietary" presence there.

A more dramatic illustration of this type of very alarming graffiti defacement of Cap Metro property was apparent again this evening (see two attachments, below) along East Rundberg Lane at the bench for passengers waiting at Cap Metro Bus Stop 6417 for a Route 325 bus to transport them southbound toward the Walmart-chain Norwood store. That bus stop is located along the south side of East Rundberg Lane, about one-half block east of North Plaza Drive, in northeast Austin. I have previously informed Cap Metro and the City Government of Austin about this particular graffiti vandalism that apparently had been recently scrawled onto the bench at Bus Stop 6417. That same graffiti problem is still there, I noticed at 6:35 p.m. this Friday evening, June 25. 

Attached is a photographic illustration of that graffiti defacement of the bench at that bus stop along East Rundberg Lane. I might add that the message in the graffiti on that bench appears to possibly contain a possible hint of a possible disguised written threat toward someone for which investigation by Cap Metro Security, the Austin Police Department, or the Texas Department of Public Safety state law-enforcement agency might possibly be needed.

Thank you again for your very kind and encouraging reply letter to me, Ms. Lopez-Resendez. Your reply letter reminds me again of the first-rate devotion that you and State Representative Donna Howard convey toward Central Texans, including toward persons such as myself who previously resided in Rep. Howard's legislative district. 

I currently reside in Texas House District 46, and my official state representative is State Rep. Sheryl Cole of Austin. I myself have never received any reply letter or phone call from Rep. Cole's office, with the exception of her response to a public-information request from me. Rep. Cole's response to me in writing stated that she did not have any documents on file that referred to me in any way.

Sincerely and Best Wishes,

John Kevin McMillan.

My rental-home address ever since June 21, 2019:

Pebble Creek Apartments, 8805 North Plaza Drive, Apt. 2418, Austin, TX 78753.

Home phone: (512) 342-2295.

Cell phone: (512) 993-7305.

Blog: John Kevin McMillan: A 21st Century Conservative Left-Wing Agenda

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On Friday, June 25, 2021, 03:53:14 PM CDT, Samantha Lopez <samantha.lopez@house.texas.gov> wrote:

Mr. McMillan,

 

Thank you for contacting the office of State Representative Donna Howard.

 

Having contacted officials at the City of Austin to discuss your concerns on your behalf, they have sent us the following correspondence (below) explaining that they have reached out to Cap Metro and are working to remedy this issue.

 

Please let me know if there is anything else I can assist you with in the future.

 

Yours in public service,

SLR

Samantha Lopez-Resendez

Administrative Director & Policy Analyst

Office of State Representative Donna Howard (HD 48)

O: (512) 463-0631| E: samantha.lopez@house.texas.gov

 

 

 

From: Gomez, V.
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2021 3:39 PM
To: Samantha Lopez <Samantha.Lopez@house.texas.gov>
Subject: RE: bus stop still fails for visually impaired

 

Samantha,

 

I spoke with Cap Metro and they have provided the below:

 

We are looking into fixing the issue and also what happened with the customer’s previous request from earlier this year. I’ll keep you posted as I hear more, but don’t hesitate to ping me if you haven’t heard anything.

 

I will provide you an update once I have received.

 

 

V. Gomez

Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator

Intergovernmental Relations Office

City of Austin

 

 

From: Samantha Lopez <Samantha.Lopez@house.texas.gov>
Sent: Monday, June 21, 2021 2:20 PM
To: Gomez, Valerie <Valerie.Gomez@austintexas.gov>
Subject: FW: bus stop still fails for visually impaired

 

*** External Email - Exercise Caution ***

Hi Valerie,

 

Please see the email below from a constituent who is requesting assistance in his request to make bus stop 2583 accessible for the visually impaired by putting in braille at this bus stop.

 

Thank you,

SLR

Samantha Lopez-Resendez

Administrative Director & Policy Analyst

Office of State Representative Donna Howard (HD 48)

O: (512) 463-0631| E: samantha.lopez@house.texas.gov

 

 

 

 

From: John McMillan <mcmillanj@att.net>
Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2021 10:43 PM
Subject: Re: bus stop still fails for visually impaired

 

Bus stop 2583 still unhelpful to visually impaired: braille info for routes 325, 324, 481 still missing as of this Sunday nite 6-20-21---braille info offered only for Cap Metro route 142.

As you know, I reported this problem to Cap Metro earlier this year, but apparently no action was taken at this stop.

Best Wishes, 

John Kevin McMillan

8805 N. Plaza Dr .  Apt 2418, Austin,TX 78753.

Phone: (512) 342-2295.

Cell phone: 512-993-7305.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail on Android

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