Special to El Rrun-Rrun
After 40 years, Brownsville Metro can't seem to get around to provide decent bus shelters for its riders, has "streamlined" routes that leave numerous neighborhoods out of the loop, and runs a maintenance shop out by the airport which contaminated the ground below and exposed its low-paid workers to asbestos before city administrators put a stop to it.
Need a bus to get to work on Sundays? Sorry, find another way. No bus service for you
After 40 years, Brownsville Metro can't seem to get around to provide decent bus shelters for its riders, has "streamlined" routes that leave numerous neighborhoods out of the loop, and runs a maintenance shop out by the airport which contaminated the ground below and exposed its low-paid workers to asbestos before city administrators put a stop to it.
Need a bus to get to work on Sundays? Sorry, find another way. No bus service for you
And just recently, its crackerjack mechanics staff and supervisors allowed low-paid maintenance workers to fill the tank of one of its five electric hybrid electric-diesel buses with...gasoline.
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The Brownsville Metro bus fleet of five and cost $3.5 million and was heralded as Brownsville's entry into the brave new world of energy savings, and reducing transportation costs and emissions for a cleaner and greener community.
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The Brownsville Metro bus fleet of five and cost $3.5 million and was heralded as Brownsville's entry into the brave new world of energy savings, and reducing transportation costs and emissions for a cleaner and greener community.The City of Brownsville Commission on March 19, 2019, approved the purchase of the five buses at an average of $700,00 per unit from Gillig LLC. So it was surprising when one of the buses (#237) started to cough and sputter when it was taken out on its test run by the drivers.
They haven't revealed the amount that was paid to drain the gas and purge the system of the gasoline. But since BUS is under contract to manage the system for the city, it remains hidden, just as the unassembled bus shelters in the barn.
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Clik here to view.In downtown, administrators - with an eye at "streamlining" (read reduce) bus stops downtown- limited West Brownsville barrio riders, many elderly, to three stops where they could board the bus to fill their prescriptions at the Walmart pharmacy on Alton Gloor at the end of the route.
The other only alternative for downtown dwellers is to walk at least a half mile to the Autrey Pharmacy on Central Blvd.
Curiously, when the bus enters the lower end of Alton Gloor, the bus stops increase. Why?
And then there is the case of people who work on Sunday. After 40 years of milking the city, the managers at B-Metro can't seem to get around to provide bus service to take them to their jobs and they have to find a way to get there on their own.
When it stopped, the brass discovered that it had been filled with gasoline instead of diesel.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
In downtown, administrators - with an eye at "streamlining" (read reduce) bus stops downtown- limited West Brownsville barrio riders, many elderly, to three stops where they could board the bus to fill their prescriptions at the Walmart pharmacy on Alton Gloor at the end of the route.The other only alternative for downtown dwellers is to walk at least a half mile to the Autrey Pharmacy on Central Blvd.
Curiously, when the bus enters the lower end of Alton Gloor, the bus stops increase. Why?
And then there is the case of people who work on Sunday. After 40 years of milking the city, the managers at B-Metro can't seem to get around to provide bus service to take them to their jobs and they have to find a way to get there on their own.
In the case of the diesel-electric hybrid buses a computer controls the output of the two power sources, diesel and electricity, so the buses always use the most efficient source.
But gasoline, unfortunately, is not part of the equation. To repair it, if it can be repaired, will probably take a small fortune.
But gasoline, unfortunately, is not part of the equation. To repair it, if it can be repaired, will probably take a small fortune.
The five buses were purchased under the Connecting Communities project under the Fiscal Year 2016 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant Program. The Connecting Communities project is comprised of three (3) projects, the hybrid buses being one of the three.
“Brownsville is leading the Rio Grande Valley,” said then-Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez said , conveniently forgetting to mention that McAllen already has them. “These diesel hybrid buses will save energy and reduce costs and emissions for a cleaner and greener community.”
“Brownsville is leading the Rio Grande Valley,” said then-Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez said , conveniently forgetting to mention that McAllen already has them. “These diesel hybrid buses will save energy and reduce costs and emissions for a cleaner and greener community.”
What was the difference between Brownsville and McAllen? Was it the managers at their bus system who made sure that everything was done the way it was supposed to be done? Or did they merely polish up their press releases for their resumes and leave the grease work to the poor slobs at the maintenance shop?
Still, it is spending time and money to hold a system-wide celebration marking 40 years of existence as a public transit system. The city launched what came to be called the Brownsville Urban System, and later, B-Metro.
“Our mission has always been to provide safe, efficient, professional and reliable public transportation with courtesy and concern to all of our passengers, visitors and residents of our community,” B-Metro Director Norma Zamora, who chronically pacifies the city commissioners with self-serving tales of the system's perfection.
Zamora has headed the city’s transportation department for 20 years and made reference to the 1.4 million passenger trips that B-Metro provides annually.
Zamora said: “Our goal now would be to increase the service to areas within our community.”
City Manager Noel Bernal, also referring to the system’s ridership figures, said they reflect a growing city and transportation system that is being used.
For a city Brownsville’s size, “there isn’t a more vital service than transportation,” he said. “It’s important also to keep it modern.”
For now, city residents would appreciate basic bus shelters that provide shade in the summer, and protection from the rain in the winter, Sunday service for workers and the people, and an administration that looks out for the comfort and convenience of city residents instead of its brazen self promotion of its director and supervisors.
“Our mission has always been to provide safe, efficient, professional and reliable public transportation with courtesy and concern to all of our passengers, visitors and residents of our community,” B-Metro Director Norma Zamora, who chronically pacifies the city commissioners with self-serving tales of the system's perfection.
Zamora has headed the city’s transportation department for 20 years and made reference to the 1.4 million passenger trips that B-Metro provides annually.
Zamora said: “Our goal now would be to increase the service to areas within our community.”
City Manager Noel Bernal, also referring to the system’s ridership figures, said they reflect a growing city and transportation system that is being used.
For a city Brownsville’s size, “there isn’t a more vital service than transportation,” he said. “It’s important also to keep it modern.”
For now, city residents would appreciate basic bus shelters that provide shade in the summer, and protection from the rain in the winter, Sunday service for workers and the people, and an administration that looks out for the comfort and convenience of city residents instead of its brazen self promotion of its director and supervisors.