Metro Magazine

MAY 2013

Magazine serving the bus and rail transit & motorcoach operations since 1904

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point of departure Still going strong at 100 w hat does New York City's Grand Central Terminal have in common with Cincinnati Metro rider Anna Tolliver? They both turned 100 this year. And, they both look pretty darn good for their age. A Metro employee stumbled upon Tolliver's birth date when she was going over some paperwork and realized the St. Bernard resident would be 100 on April 11, 2013. To mark this impressive milestone, Metro CEO Terry Garcia Crews presented Tolliver with a year of free passes at a special event at the Metro offices. Riding made easier Before she retired from her job at the Town Club of Cincinnati in the Carew Tower, Tolliver used public transportation regularly. For 35 years, she commuted downtown on Metro. Her public transportation history also includes riding streetcars around Cincinnati in the 1920s. According to agency officials, Tolliver still rides the system about three times a week for shopping and doctor's appointments. To help cut costs, she takes part in Metro's Fare Deal program, which allows eligible riders to pay half-price fares for any Metro trip by using a special Fare Deal ID card. Lately, I've come across several programs that are geared to helping riders cover the costs of fares. Last August, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority began offering free rides to eligible paratransit riders when they used the fixed-route service. Just this March, the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) and its Board of Trustees launched a special fund to help pay for paratransit services for customers who can't afford it. TANK board members first provided personal gifts to launch the PROJECT RAMP Fund, named after the agency's paratransit service. Shortly after its creation, TANK employees also contributed to the fund and are continuing to do so by payroll deductions. Despite the struggling economy, public transit is still a vital link for those that rely on it. It's great to see how public transit systems are developing ways to make the service attainable for those that can't afford it. "Gateway to America" Another milestone being celebrated this year, is the 100th anniversary of the opening of New York City's Grand Central Terminal. (See story on page 48). The iconic building, which began its storied history as the "gateway to America," survived the threat of a wrecking ball, decline and disrepair to emerge revitalized as a popular destination and lasting monument to the city's rebirth. "Hundredth anniversaries come and go, but when it's a building that you almost lost, it's sort of a reminder that we didn't," says historian and lecturer Anthony W. Robins, who recently coauthored, with the staff of the New York Transit Museum, a new book celebrating the landmark. Janna Starcic, Executive Editor janna.starcic@ metro-magazine.com Despite the struggling economy, public transit is still a vital link for those that rely on it. Achievement Reaching 100 years is an impressive achievement. I can only hope that I am half as mobile as Tolliver if I make it to that milestone. I feel I'm on the right track considering my grandmother was still playing her favorite classical music on the piano when she turned 100. But, unlike Grand Central, while it looks fabulous, I don't want to have to get a facelift. 16 < mETRO mAGAZINE MAY 2013 metro-magazine.com

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