There has been a buzz in the air, in the papers, and on the web ever since local residents and business owners heard of the elimination of the Charm City Circulator’s Banner Route. If this is news to you, then you probably missed:
- a number of articles and op-eds in the Baltimore Sun
- this letter to the mayor and director of the Department of Transportation from our very own District 46 Delegation
- HarborView Marina & Yacht Club Community Association, Inc.’s petition on change.org that now has over 1,400 signatures
- this letter to the mayor penned by Greg Sileo, president of the Locust Point Civic Association, which is signed by 26 peninsular stakeholders
- articles on local news sites such as southbmore.com and the Baltimore Brew
- the findings of the study presented to the City prior to announcing their decision to eliminate the Banner Route
On Monday, June 29th, a vote was held during RNA’s monthly meeting regarding our support of the preservation of the Banner Route moving forward, and it was unanimously decided that this service to our community is one worthy of RNA’s time and effort. On Tuesday, June 30th, Greg Sileo and the LPCA hosted an organizing meeting to gather those passionate about this cause and prepare for the July 13th public meeting with the city to be held at Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle at 1425 E. Fort Ave. from 5:30-7pm. If you were unable to attend the organizing meeting and are willing to get directly involved with organizing residents around the July 13th meeting and any future efforts, please contact Greg at gsileo@gmail.com.
In addition, we hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to write letters and/or emails to the Department of Transportation providing feedback and comments on the proposed changes. The Circulator’s June 5th public notice states:
The comment period is currently open through July 8, 2015. Citizens may mail or email testimonies/comments through midnight, July 8, 2015 to the Department of Transportation, 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 559, Baltimore, MD 21202 or to info@charmcitycirculator.com (using ‘CCC Proposed Changes July 2015’ as the subject). All public comments received will considered by the responsible administrator prior to taking final action on the proposed service adjustments.
We hope that concerned residents will write letters and e-mails, continue to spread the word about the Banner Route’s importance to you, and show up on July 13th to make sure your voice is heard.
Update: Start using #SaveTheBannerRoute on all related social media posts, especially when you’re sitting on a Banner Route bus, and don’t forget to tweet the mayor @MayorSRB and @BmoreCityDOT on your next ride.