We had five riders at today’s Bus Party for Route 9. We toured the southeast side of Cedar Rapids bouncing on either side of Mt. Vernon Rd. This was almost completely new territory for me and I was surprised at how many neighborhoods I didn’t know existed. One rider noted that we went by almost every school on that side of town which serves students well if they live too close to be on a school bus route. We had one of the new Gillig buses again and again enjoyed the smoother, quieter ride.
We talked about the many Farmer’s Markets opening very soon, and one of the rider’s blog post about the local markets and his Google Calendar. Our transit conversations covered the potential changes to 2nd and 3rd Ave downtown and trails. We talked about what might happen to traffic patterns if 2nd Ave. was blocked at 10th St. and what would happen if one-way streets were changed to two-way. Trail signage was mentioned too. How the closed trail signs aren’t effective because they aren’t taken down when they are no longer necessary, so they aren’t taken seriously when there is a problem ahead. Great information as multiple groups focus more and more on trails and bicycle access in the metro area.
We ate lunch, or breakfast for some, at Coopers Mill on F Ave NW.
April will be the one year anniversary of the first Bus Party and we’ll ride Route 10. See you then!
