Letters for November 8, 2018

Re: “Black trans lives matter” by Raheem F. Hosseini (Feature, November 1):

I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Ebony [Harper] a little bit and she is the sweetest, kindest woman I have ever met. Reading this article was upsetting and alarming because Ebony did not deserve to be brutalized by the police and arrested on bogus charges. The actions being taken against her are an agenda to silence the voices that do speak up for the disenfranchised and marginalized souls here in Sacramento. My hope is that Miss Ebony shakes the hell out of this broken system and forces out the demons who choose to ignore people’s civil and constitutional rights.

Sunchalla Jenkins

Sacramento

via Facebook

Make RT more reliable, not cheaper

Re: “Lessons from Brooklyn to Sacramento with love” by Jeff vonKaenel (Greenlight, November 1):

If [Regional Transit] is actually interested in learning how to run an actual transit system, here’s some more advice from a former New Yorker: Low fares are important, but frequency of service is more important.

People drive here because RT bus service is too infrequent; employers want people with “reliable” transportation, which should not be code for “must have car.” More frequent service allows all people, including persons who can’t drive due to age or disability, to get to places in a timely manner, rather than effectively being a second-class citizen. Not having to wait a half hour or more for a bus to start one’s journey is more important to the average rider than saving a quarter. I’d rather RT keep the fare where it is and use that money to have bus service that’s more than twice an hour—for all lines. That money could also go a long way toward increasing signage and wayfinding, so more people would know how and where to use transit. Sacramento is geographically small enough that the infrequency of service is really a slap in the face to riders—low-income riders can’t rely on Uber and Lyft constantly for fast, reliable transit. RT should open its books and explain why service can’t be more reliable and frequent.

The saying is, “If you build it, they will come.” If transit is effectively invisible due to infrequency of service, we can’t wonder why people aren’t riding. If service is more reliable and frequent, people would use it more.

Roberta Winters

Sacramento

sactoletters@newsreview.com

Alternative news, alternative uses

Re: “Redefining ‘going postal'” by Raheem F. Hosseini (Beats, November 1):

Many thanks to our postal workers. They were the ones most in danger, but they not only kept working, but also protected others.

Tina Bennett

Sacramento

via Facebook