Mayoral Candidate Gail Riecken Rides Howell Route

Riecken And Riney Discuss The METS Service On City Westside

Evansville, IN – Mayoral candidate Gail Riecken rode the METS Howell Route #12 today with Perry Township Trustee Rick Riney to show support for one of the routes that is in danger of being consolidated.

“Easy and convenient access to public transportation is important to so many people in Evansville,” said Riecken.  “Not everyone can afford to own a car, but everyone needs a way to get to work or shop.  Having to walk an extreme distance from a bus stop to your home in bad weather, with no sidewalks, and with no streetlights can be not only inconvenient but can be dangerous.  If you have to walk in the street, it’s dark and you have your children with you.”

Riecken cited accessibility to routes and the safety of riders as they travel to the route as one of her concerns with the potential consolidation of routes.  She also pointed out that many people in Evansville use METS as a method of transportation to go food shopping, taking their kids to school and getting to and from their jobs.

Perry Township Trustee Rick Riney said “Overall, Westside residents are content with the current services provided, but the proposed new routes would have people walking up to 6, 8, or 10 blocks to get to a bus stop.“  He continued, “Many of these areas on the Westside have been part of the city for 50 plus years and still have no sidewalks, making these walks to the bus stops even harder and more dangerous.  This also makes it especially hard for handicap individuals in our community.  While Cities change, as do their dynamics, we cannot ignore the fact the West Side is still a well-populated, valuable part of our city.  Consolidating this route would be an unfair hardship on them.”

Riney, the Perry Township Trustee, talked about the unfair hardships faced by residents of the Westside and that it would be worse with the new routes.  He also stated that Westside residents are okay with current routes and that this change would have an even greater effect on handicap members of the community.

Gail Riecken is running for Mayor of Evansville and is a former Evansville City Council-woman, Evansville Parks Director, and a current member of the Indiana State House of Representatives.  She is a lifelong Evansville resident, has been married for 46 years, and has 2 children and 3 grandchildren.