It's been a little more than a week since the Golden Empire Transit changed its routes. Riders are still upset and Tuesday night they vented at a GET board meeting in Bakersfield.
"None of the people that are on the system are satisfied with it," said Kathryne White, a GET bus rider at the meeting and she wasn't alone.
"i just find it utter bull crap that we have to walk that far home," said Gary Cutwright, a GET bus rider.
"You've got to hear us," said Nancy Lansing, a GET bus rider.
On October 7 GET changed its bus routes, eliminating some and moving others. The changes were based on a two-year long study meant to make the bus system faster and more efficient. But most GET riders at this meeting aren't on board with that.
"You've ruined a system that was only slightly broken you've made the routes too far apart everybody has to walk extremely far and most of us are disabled," said White.
Ezell Carroll is legally blind and says she now has to walk three times as far.
"I wish you had taken this bus route and checked it out before you absolutely changed it," said Carroll.
GET spokesperson Gina Hayden tried to explain to the board how the new routes were going, but she was met with boos.
"Anecdotally we received commendations from riders who find the new routes suit their travel needs better than the old routes did particularly in the southwest service area," said Hayden as she was sneered at by the crowd.
Hayden said GET plans to study the new routes and reassess them in 6 months. That's bad news for the Bakersfield Homeless Center. Officials there want changes now. The bus stop in front of the shelter was eliminated, forcing clients to walk a half a mile and cross East Truxtun Avenue.
"We need to rethink this because we now have women and children who are having to play Frogger to to cross Edison Highway," said Carolann Wooton of the Bakersfield Homeless Center.
Hayden says they need to study the new system before they make exceptions.
"We are still in the reconstruction phase but anticipate a good result once the overall change is complete," said Hayden.
Anyone will issues is asked to file a formal complaint either online or on the phone by calling 869-2438.
