COMMUTER RAIL SERVICE

[cabforward]

i live in charleston, sc.. traffic congestion is approaching "gridlock".. i-26 runs from downtown charleston up thru n. charleston, and onward to "outlying areas".. there are several junctions between the interstate and side roads.. these roads "lock-up" every afternoon, not for accidents, road upgrades, etc., but just because of traffic density.. i have repeatedly requested local media (papers, tv & radio stations) to investigate whether a commuter rail system would improve traffic flow by transferring drivers to a commuter rail line.. this would subtract many regular passenger vehicles from highway usage.. i have never received a reply.. i sent an email to the v-p of the am. publ. trans. ass., and received no reply.. i believe a commuter rail would be a big improvement for many reasons, but noone will give me a chance to express my views to a wide audience.. i am not saying, "my idea is great ; it will work"; i am asking SOME media outlet to look into the issue, evaluate the "terrain" (with outside "experts" if they wish) and report on whether commuter rail would probably work or not.. i think it's a great idea; i believe it would work, with everyone's support.. but i'm not urging anyone to take my word for it.. i just want SOMEONE to see for themselves and give an opinion on the "advisability" of establishing such a service before considering issues such as govt. approval, financing, construction, etc.. i just want someone to look into the subject and say whether or not it would work, and then i would just shut-up and not sweat it anymore..

so, how could i advance this discussion with "better-informed sources"? who should i contact? i have emailed EVERY govt. authority: city, county, state, federal in the "carolina lowcountry"; i emailed every newspaper within 50 miles of chas., i emailed several chambers of commerce around here.. NOONE ANSWERED, EVER.. i email a local radio station that has talk-radio guests appear live, and discuss local and national issues; i asked for an invitation to appear and dicsuss the issue with callers, live.. no reply..

no doubt, i am missing something somewhere; im just clueless as to what it would be.. can ANYONE suggest ANYTHING i could do to attract an audience to this issue? i cant afford a billboard or a commercial.. im hoping i could do something to attract attention that would cost me nothing.. i am retired and living on soc. sec.. i haven't won the lottery..  i want to contact (phone or email) SOMEONE who will take my concerns seriously and assist me to bring the issue of commuter rail service to the point where it would become a topic of open conversation in my town, and hopefully stimulate a movement to begin a debate on the issue..

but, i could be wrong!

[mudchicken]

http://www.scdot.org/multimodal/pdf/sc_mtp_rail_plan.pdf

All it takes is money - lots of it (dwarfs the highway budgets in most states   ...  North Carolina was in a much better position than south Carolina to get it's project off the ground and it's doing it in small chunks. DO NOT use Colorado as a role model [Non railroaders and bus people can't railroad and it's beginning to show what happens when massive $$$ and massive ineptitude get together. The shortsighted commuter side of RTD is now learning that FRA is much more demanding than FTA... for good reason.])

[schlimm]

Perhaps a light rail operation or conventional commuter on a dedicated RoW need not be so expensive?   The FRA may be revising some standards on cars; maybe their track standards are out of date.  I'll simply say this. Track on the Milw Dist West commuter line here is terrible and the UP-West line only somewhat better.  Compared to European lines, including those with a dense freight schedule, it's really poor.  Perhaps our cars' weight limits are too high. 

[PNWRMNM]

If you are serious, recognize that it will take a lot more than emails.

First you need a clear statement of the problem, reduce highway congestion or open new areas to high density real estate development for example.

Second you need a clear statement of the solution in a technical sense. Are you thinking of using existing active rail lines, purpose built heavy rail, or light rail streetcar like vehicles? Why won't busses do the job?

Third you should have some clue what it will cost, and as Mudchicken points out the cost will be staggering. Who is going to pay and why?

Draw some lines on a map. Select a system that you think is reasonable.

Find a sponsor. Since it will be public money your sponsor should be someone in the public sector. A city councilman or county supervisor would be best. Perhaps that is the person who represents you, perhaps one of the office holders has a particular interest in traffic/transportation issues. You are local so should be able to figure that out. If they put your plan forward, or even allow you time to present it at their meeting, the media will cover it.

Your project will take a lot more effort than sending a few emails.

Mac

[schlimm]

Make appointments with the local newspaper editor, the TV station news department and with the managers of the largest businesses along the route.  In person is far more effective than an email, which is easily deleted as spam.

From what I recall of Charleston, that main road was already congested badly 30 years ago, so not surprising it is gridlocked now.  Buses would not work unless they have a dedicated lane. The appeal could have two main threads: 1. Better access to businesses equals increased revenue and sales tax revenue.  2. Corridor development as in Charlotte yields growth, increased land values and increased property tax revenue.

[cabforward]

maybe its different where your are.. here, NOONE will talk to me unless i can give a good reason for scheduling an appt. to begin with.. i thought that was what my email would do.. its like asking to be interviewed for a job: NOONE will schedule an interview with someone they dont know, for a reason they dont understand.. if i want a job, i am told to read the list of vacancies and mail an application.. this is why, as i understand it, people request reporters be dispatched to interview, photograph, etc., someone to talk with.. editors dont interview people, thats what reporters are for, but if an editor wont dispatch a reporter, or if the reporter wont consider a request from myself, what do i do then?

[mudchicken]

schlimm

Perhaps a light rail operation or conventional commuter on a dedicated RoW need not be so expensive?   The FRA may be revising some standards on cars; maybe their track standards are out of date.  I'll simply say this. Track on the Milw Dist West commuter line here is terrible and the UP-West line only somewhat better.  Compared to European lines, including those with a dense freight schedule, it's really poor.  Perhaps our cars' weight limits are too high. 

 

FRA's track standards are tried and proven, backed-up by repeated reviews and tests at Pueblo, Volpe Center and other places. Commuter rail has never paid its fair share of the maintenance dollar. In shared corridors, the rough ride is an indicator of use and maintenance cycles. Roadmasters in those corridors do the best they can with what they get to work with.

Denver's RTD commuter rail corridor is largely on dedicated R/W. They still are having issues. (signal now, but the other gremlins will appear next. Before signals, the issue was clearances and an expensive oops.)

FRA holds you to a much higher standard compared to FTA. (sole operations independent of FRA, like Washington's WMATA concern me to no end.)

Ride quality does not always imply safer. Mixing uniform length/weight/center of gravity cars* with general service freight cars and freight tonnage is always a bear.

(*)Thank goodness that the x-train, GM Jet rocket tin cans and the lightweight Rohrs are gone.

[cabforward]

i really thought thats was i specified i was doing.. im asking for meetings, interviews, whatever you want to call it.. you are describing what i would have AFTER i make contact.. the issue i am attempting to describe is, how do i make contact in the first place? what part of my message lacked specificity? why would anyone offer a personal meeting without knowing what i want to meet with them for? isnt that what emails do? i am really missing your point.. how do i impress anyone to meet with me? they would all say, write me a letter.. well, i wrote an email.. why woluldnt that work? if i dont impress them with an email, why would a postal letter be any better? if they dont care for my subject in an email, why would it look better in a postal letter? you suggest a sponsor? o.k, what should i do, camp on someone's doorstep? with the millions of emails sent daily, i cant believe mine would be especially ignored due to.... not looking important enough? this is why i am posting to this forum: im looking for assistance in any form to raise the level of awareness for this subject.. i have sent almost a hundred emails to every outift i can think of in this area, to offices in our state capitol and at the federal level.. what would work now, maybe a girl wearing a bikini? maybe start a fire in the middle of a highway, and hold a sign with "commuter rail" painted on it? that should attract attention..

you have suggested who i should contact; i am asking why would anyone answer me if they ignored my email? maybe im missing the point; i dont see how i can meet with anyone if they wont take my email seriously.. if they wont read my email, why would they treat my request for a personal meeting differently? maybe i could pay a skywriter to write a message above charleston.. people love to see skywriters at work..

[Electroliner 1935]

Does anyone have the story on how San Diego started its use of the line to San Ysidro without federal funds? It appears they were successful beyond  their dreams. I know they started simple with single track and just one line on a lightly used freight railroad. 

[tree68]

Who did you try to contact at the media?  The top guy/girl?  Most media outlets provide contact information for lower level folks - even the reporters themselves.  Go there.  You're right - the editor won't talk to you.  You may find a reporter whose beat more or less fits right in with your agenda.

If you have the time, do a little research ahead of time.  See if you can discern where the traffic is coming from, and going to, in at least general terms.  You probably can't search license plate numbers, but if you can, and the traffic is gridlocked, you shouldn't have any problem getting numbers to run.

What's the traffic mix?  How about occupants per vehicle?  

Do some brainstorming - how would commuter rail actually work?  Are there aggregation points at each end?  If a commuter takes the train into town, how will they handle the "last mile?"   Can they walk?  Are there buses?

What's the current commute time for a driver between the two ends of a proposed system?  How can you improve that?  How many vehicles are using the road(s) right now?

How many drivers could such a system take off the road?  You can look at other, similar systems for an idea.  

As I see it, one significant impediment to establishing a new transit route is figuring out where to begin and end.  "Back in the day" such systems ran from "bedroom" communities to "downtown" or industrial areas.  With the advent of the automobile, the endpoints for commuting are far less defined.  The gridlocked roads are simply funnel points as commuter #1 travels from A to C, while commuter #2 travels from B to F, and commuter #3 travels from D to G...

Take the time to craft a "white paper."   Outline the problem, it's effects, and especially your potential solution(s).  Send copies to local leaders and the media, electronically, and in print.  This will carry much more weight than a simple "there's a problem and I have an idea how to solve it" letter or email.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

N. Charleston is served by Amtrak's Palmetto, 1 each way in the evening.  So that station might be a logical starting point. 

Light rail is probably the best option.  The freight rail lines veer off to the east side of the peninsula south of Wagener Terrace / I-17 east junction.  As such, they don't go downtown where most of the traffic would be heading (I think).  So a new line would have to be built, and light rail is the most economical and fits in better with urban streetscapes and traffic.  And there are many modern light rail installations to use as examples and for data. 

Transportation funding in most places is controlled by a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).  For South Carolina, here's an overview: http://www.dot.state.sc.us/inside/planning_faq.aspx

For Charleston, it's the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments, at: http://bcdcog.com/transportation-planning/ 

Although it's clear they're mostly bus-oriented, from Chapter 6 of a report: http://bcdcog.com/long-range-transportation-plan/ 

at the top of page 3 of 19:

 http://bcdcog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Chapter_06_Transit-Element.pdf -

"This intermodal transportation center will accommodate CARTA and TriCounty Link transit services, Greyhound, Amtrak, taxi, and, prospectively, fixed-guideway transit services." (emphasis added - PDN) 

So contact the MPO, find out who does the transportation planning for them, and contact them - hopefully they'll meet with you for at least a few minutes. 

- Paul North. 

[erikem]

Electroliner 1935

Does anyone have the story on how San Diego started its use of the line to San Ysidro without federal funds? It appears they were successful beyond  their dreams. I know they started simple with single track and just one line on a lightly used freight railroad. 

 

One oft reported "joke" is that the original San Diego line succeeded because it didn't make use of federal funds.

Main reason it worked was that the design was done very conservatively, using proven cars as opposed to the Vertol LRVs. Line construction was kept simple, using single track to keep the cost down until actual traffic supported double tracking. The initial line was the lowest cost per mile option.

FWIW, Utah's approach to rail transit has been similar.

What also helped was the project was a bipartisan effort, with the program championed by Jim Mills and supported by Pete Wilson.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

The San Ysidro line story is a darned good example     Thanks to both Electroliner 1935 and erikem for pointing it out (of which I didn't know before today).  Serendipity (Hurricane Kathleen) played a part, but the preparatory studies had been done, so they were ready to make decisions and move quickly.  

Here's a link to the Wikipedia article - one of the best I've seen, too, FWIW:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Trolley 

Studying a comparison of the Charleston with San Diego - esp. the location of the existing rail lines (my  comment notwithstanding) - might yield some interesting parallels.

- Paul North.  

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Paul_D_North_Jr

. . . So contact the MPO, find out who does the transportation planning for them, and contact them - hopefully they'll meet with you for at least a few minutes.

All such organizations have public meetings, most with a "Courtesy of the floor" (or similar) period for public questions and comment.  That's fine, but better to contact a staffer in advance and ask to have a few minutes on the agenda.  Send a short (1 pg.) outline or proposal, a map with a route sketched on it, maybe a good photo of LRT, and a list of similar systems and references for further research.  Ask that it be copied and included in the agenda packets for review by the board in advance of your appearance.

Looks like December's Board meeting was yesterday (12/05), and the calendar doesn't show January 2017 yet: http://bcdcog.com/events/  

So contact them and ask, at:

http://bcdcog.com/contact/ 

One interesting point I saw recently for Phoenix's system is it enables the elderly to get downtown, where they would be afraid to drive, even if they're OK with driving elsewhere.  The 'abled elderly' is a pretty large segment of the population in some places, more than the usually identified groups of riders (e.g., disabled, non-dirvers, etc.).

- Paul North.  

[schlimm]

mudchicken

FRA's track standards are tried and proven, backed-up by repeated reviews and tests at Pueblo, Volpe Center and other places. Commuter rail has never paid its fair share of the maintenance dollar. In shared corridors, the rough ride is an indicator of use and maintenance cycles. Roadmasters in those corridors do the best they can with what they get to work with.

The outcome measure that matters to commuters (the thread topic) is ride-quality. On the lines I mentioned it is fair to very poor.  I suggest it is a function of the continual damage caused by the enormous increases in allowable weights of loaded freight cars over the last 50-odd years, much as we see with trucks and highways.  Efficiency and cost-cutting comes with a cost (discomfort or damage), which neither the railroads or trucks fully bear.

[Semper Vaporo]

schlimm

mudchicken

FRA's track standards are tried and proven, backed-up by repeated reviews and tests at Pueblo, Volpe Center and other places. Commuter rail has never paid its fair share of the maintenance dollar. In shared corridors, the rough ride is an indicator of use and maintenance cycles. Roadmasters in those corridors do the best they can with what they get to work with. 

The outcome measure that matters to commuters (the thread topic) is ride-quality. On the lines I mentioned it is fair to very poor.  I suggest it is a function of the continual damage caused by the enormous increases in allowable weights of loaded freight cars over the last 50-odd years, much as we see with trucks and highways.  Efficiency and cost-cutting comes with a cost (discomfort or damage), which neither the railroads or trucks fully bear.

 

I beg to differ, Schlimm... "Ride quality" is certainly a consideration, but several forms of convenience are of greater concern...

I could have used public transit to get to work (early in my gainfully employed life) but that required me to walk 4 blocks in the wrong direction to get to the place where I could get on the public transit... then I sat for nearly 40 minutes whilst it wound its way up and down all sorts of residential streets before dropping me off downtown so I could sit a half hour in a weather exposed location until I could get on yet another public transit vehicle that also wound all over creation before letting me off 4 blocks from my place of employment 40 minutes later.

And that was just to get TO work... going home was worse because the best place (only place, if I was a little late) to get on the bus to go home was on the OUTBOUND route (4 blocks away) and I had to ride close to an hour to get downtown to catch another bus to get to my house (if I was on-time, I could walk 6 blocks to catch the bus and get downtown in just 20 minutes).  And that was only if I got off work ON-TIME... if I was late, there were NO busses available and I had to walk.

I quickly discovered that I could walk from home to work (or back) in only about 30 minutes by cutting across town.

"Ride comfort" is a lessor consideration to: 1) proximity to my residence, 2) proximity to my place of employment, 3) weather conditions for the travel and waiting locations while getting to and waiting for the conveyance, 4) total travel time, 5) existence of the conveyance at the times I need it, 6) cost of the conveyance per trip.

Granted, I could have used the exercise of walking 16 blocks a day and the bus trip was relatively cheap in those days, but 4 hours a day was just too much wasted time (for somebody working full time and going to school) and not being able to accept a little overtime (unless I wanted to walk a couple of miles to get home), made this form of public transport of no value, regardless of the comfort it might have afforded (which it didn't!... back in them days, smoking was permissible anywhere and some idiot suckling on a smoldering "adult binky" was painful for me).

If a commuter line is to succeed it has to meet the commuter's needs... close to source and destination, timely (both in travel time and available when the commuter needs it), affordable, dependable, and lastly, "not uncomfortable".

Granted, I would not like to ride a roller-coaster to work or to go shopping, nor ride a "bone rattler" for any reason, but several layers of "convenience" are much more important for success.

And I just had a thought because of my mention of "shopping"... ever tried to get on public transit with 4 bags of groceries and a few cartons of liquid refreshment?  Or a new outdoor grill?  Or garment bags/boxes of new clothes for the family?

 

[zugmann]

Semper Vaporo

And I just had a thought because of my mention of "shopping"... ever tried to get on public transit with 4 bags of groceries and a few cartons of liquid refreshment? Or a new outdoor grill? Or garment bags/boxes of new clothes for the family?

Lot of people in the city do it pretty regularly.  Ok, maybe not the grill, but then again, delivery is avaliable on most any item if they really wanted that grill.  Even the grocery stores near me offer the service. 

But then again, just because there is commuter service, doesn't mean you have to use it for EVERYTHING.  Lots of people commute via public transit and have a car at home.

[cabforward]

ive "done the research".. it doesnt matter.. i have emailed many reporters; they dont answer.. im letting it all go.. i did what i thought might help; it didnt.. im not about to expend time and effort attending meetings, gatherings of like-minded citizens, rallies, photo-ops, etc.. im not for making this my life's work; it was just an idea, and i believed in it.. if others choose to ignore my messages and opinions, good for them.. i give up.. it wasnt my passion.. im retired; it was just something i believed in to pass the time.. i still think its a good idea, but i have exhausted the options i chose to pursue.. i dont have the money or the inclination to travel to "wherever" impress govt. officials or private cos. with such a plan.. if thats what it would take, then i guessed wrong, but it was still an enjoyable exercise and if im really lucky, maybe i can read about someone in years to come who was able to push such an idea further and see success where i did not.. at least i didnt lose money in my efforts; thats a good outcome..

[cabforward]

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL EMAIL I SENT TO NEARLY 100 ADDRESSES SINCE A YEAR AGO.. I REALLY THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE A FEW RESPONSES, INSTEAD I GOT ZERO.. I WAS WRONG.. I BELIEVED THIS WAS A GREAT IDEA AND AT LEAST SOME WOULD ANSWER AND OFFER SUPPORT OR IDEAS FOR PROMOTING IT IN THE LOCAL CHARLESTON AREA.. I WAS WRONG.. I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN ANY DISCIPLINE NECESSARY TO MAKE THIS FANTASY BECOME REAL POLITICALLY, FINANCIALLY OR ENGINEERING-WISE.. NEITHER DO I HAVE EXPERIENCE IN RAISING THE AWARENESS OF PEOPLE TO A COMMUNITY CAUSE.. I JUST HAD AN IDEA AND ONLY ONE WAY TO PROMOTE IT-- VIA EMAIL.. I WAS WRONG.. HAD I KNOWN OF MY LIMITATIONS THEN, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED THIS FAILURE.. BUT, I DID LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT MOTIVATING PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS: I LEARNED I DONT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES.. BUT, IN ONE WAY, IT WAS FUN, I DID IT ALL FROM MY PC, AND IT COST ME NOTHING BUT TIME, AND RETIREES HAVE LOTS OF THAT..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS LETTER IS IN SUPPORT OF, AND AN ADVOCATE FOR, a rail transit initiative in the tri-county area, which could be realized in 20 years.. the opening system would be added to accommodate growth throughout the tri-county area.. sustaining growth in the metropolitan area of charleston-berkeley-dorchester areas is best supported by a mixture of bus and rail transit.. bus services handle small groups of passengers along variable routes where stops can be altered at any time.. rail transit handles larger groups of people along a fixed route with stops at fixed points.. both modes are viable solutions within a defined context.. bus routes are already in place between the major cities and the suburbs; they can be added to and re-routed with little effort or expense..

 

rail transit, because of its large capitalization and lead time, must be well-planned and presented to various agencies for funding and approval, as well as inviting the public's input and critiquing to optimize the network, whether small or extensive in its reach..

 

the plan proposed here is to draw a basic sketch of rail plans between charleston-n. charleston to the outer reaches of the rural areas of the tri-county area..

 

>> a route (with stations) could be planned from downtown charleston, to n. charleston, to summerville, jedburg and terminate at st. george..
>> a second route (with stations) would travel from n. charleston to goose creek and moncks corner..

 

depending on the success of the initial plans, system extensions and branches could be added where needed..

 

a station in downtown charleston could be built (with railroad approval) in the "neck area".. there is room and tracks between king st. extension and meeting st. rd where a station and parking could be planned.. the owner railroad would agree to lease the property and offer unused trackage, or footage along the right-of-way for development by a rail transit authority.. a station at this point would be a convenient stop for bus riders to change to rail transit and vice-versa.. "park-and-ride" acreage should be easily contracted for riders to leave their cars behind..

 

where viable, rail transit better serves the community and reduces highway congestion.. a bus carries between 40-50 passengers.. a single rail car can carry up to double the capacity of buses.. a number of buses traveling along a highway during rush hours merely serve to transfer the auto congestion to bus congestion.. an 8-car transit train would carry approx. 640 passengers;  to carry the same load would require 16 buses.. at rail stops, passengers may transfer to buses which would carry them to areas not served by rail transit.. rail service to outlying areas make it possible for residents to commute to the population centers at all hours of day and night.. workers and those seeking a night of entertainment can ride to town in the early evening and return on a late-night schedule to any point along the line.. this increases human traffic while minimizing road traffic.. a rail transit schedule could allow multi-car trains at 15-20 minute intervals; loading / unloading 640 riders four times an hour would move a more than a typical amount of people at peak hours.. it stands to reason that such efficiency in local transportation would attract more riders and a greater need for a sophisticated, far-reaching plan that allows for added traffic and extended routing.. such a well-executed plan would no doubt attract attention from distant population centers asking for support in their local transit issues.. such a local system in charleston could serve as a model nation-wide.. even in planning and design stages, the care and consideration given local communities by allowing input from govts., citizens, et.al., could be a template for a "how-to" to be used by other organizations needing similar help with their local traffic tie-ups..

 

the economy of scale achieved by a rail transit initiative cannot be marginalized in the charleston area.. the area needs better ways to transport hundreds, even thousands of passengers in a fast, safe and commendable system which pleases riders for scheduling, comfort, safety, convenient and enjoyable trips..
the time to begin a rail transit plan is now.. to confine transit improvements to bus routes and scheduling is not only short-sighted, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure, as the increasing ridership will cause a "bus-only" transit system to collapse under its own weight.. buses can only carry so much of the load, and the roads can only carry so many buses.. the roads must not only carry the expanded transit buses, they must also carry the otherwise traffic that will be there, and also increasing on a daily basis.. a "bus-only" transit system will be a short-lived panacea which will fizzle in a few years, when the number of buses cannot support the number of riders.. the expense and maintenance of maintaining such a transit fleet and including the bus operators and dispatchers, etc., will eventually become driven to collapse under the weight of needed transit services, the expense of adding more buses, more personnel, bigger repair shops.. where would it end? regret? accusations of wasted funds and resources? "why didnt we do that, when we could have easily done so?" "what do we do now?" also, paying back borrowed money that financed the expanded bus system to begin with; but with routes clogged with buses fighting already-existing traffic, there is a threat of declining transit revenue due to bad publicity from the "over-saturation" of the bus system with too many buses crowding streets and not maintaining on-time schedules..

 

>> TO EVERYONE IN THE TRI-COUNTY AREA: LETS GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.. SUPPORT A RAIL TRANSIT INITIATIVE AND AN EXPANDED BUS SYSTEM..

>> WE CANNOT LIVE THE GOOD LIFE IN OUR AREA WITH OUT BOTH.

 

>> IF YOU THINK EDUCATION IS EXPENSIVE, TRY IGNORANCE!

[tree68]

Well - I see your problem, and why your email was not taken seriously.

You need to find the shift key on your keyboard and understand it's use.

Sentences begin with a capital letter.  Period.  Unless you're e.e.cummings.

All caps is shouting in any format.

Finishing with "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!" is rather an insult - if they bothered to read that far.

As an additional note, white space is your friend.  There are some pretty long paragraphs there.  Try reading one out loud.  If you have to pause to take a breath, it was probably where you should have started a new paragraph.

That said - the actual content isn't bad.  Polish it up, have someone proofread it for you, and send it out again.  

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

"+1".  Edit it down to 1 page.  Have another retiree friend help you format it as tree68 suggests - such as bullet points, bold or underline for emphasis, etc.  Don't point out the problems of buses - just promoting the transit line is plenty.

- Paul North.