Phoenix, AZ — My name is Richard Jackson and I live in Phoenix, AZ. I had been a manager for a large healthcare company, an athlete in college and a referee for softball and football. I’m 6 ft, 240 lbs, and could party one night and jump in a car and play golf with no warm up the next day. But 8 ½ years ago, at 54 years old, I had a stroke and ended up right side hemiplegic. My body let me down.
When I first started, I couldn’t walk that well and had a manual wheel chair. The Bus stop is a ¼ mile away which took me forever – especially in 110° degree weather.
Fortunately, I met the intake manager of Ability 360 at a Farmers Market 2 or 3 months after I had my stroke and realized they could be really helpful both in terms of working with trainers at the gym and figuring out what my options were to get around. I would see a blue and white bus around town, found out about it and figured out that I qualified. Now I work for Ability 360, mentoring other people.
I take some form of transit all over the place – the Phoenix Dial A Ride, the Light Rail and now that I can walk with a cane, I sometimes take the City bus. Occasionally, I take Uber, but it’s very expensive. I referee again for Jr High Volleyball, I go to Starbucks early in the morning before it gets too hot, I go to the Chase Field and Footprint Center for the Phoenix Suns.
But there are limitations. I don’t make more than one Doctor’s appointment on the same day. If I have a 1pm appt, they pick me up at 11am, and get me there way early.
I like coffee. After Memorial Day, it starts to get hot in the morning. Us retired people like to sit and sip outside on the patios (with misters and fans!) early but the bus running until 7 am. I wish it started at 6am.
I also wish transit would run later. I like to cook so would like to go to the Food and Wine events in the downtown Arts District that go from 8 to midnight. I wanted to see Billy Joel and Stevie Nix in December but I couldn’t take Light Rail because the bus doesn’t run that late. The bus ride is only 2.5 miles but the Saturday night price on Uber would be $24. And, the last Paratransit pick up is 11pm.
Transit is the lifeblood of our economy. Transit allows me to have a decent life, to be independent. I hope you will keep the need for more frequent transit in mind and support the Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act. The bill would dedicate funding to improve hours and frequency.