[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 98 (Thursday, July 18, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                    THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC TRANSIT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 18, 2002

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to submit a statement made by 
Mrs. Faye Thompson of Wayne County, West Virginia before the U.S. 
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Subcommittee on 
Housing and Transportation, on the importance of public transit. Mrs. 
Thompson is a member of the Wayne County, West Virginia Community 
Service Organization, Inc. Board of Directors.
  Public transit is a vital transportation link for people in rural 
areas, who do not own their own cars, or cannot find someone to drive 
them to medical appointments, etc.
  In her testimony, Mrs. Thompson told how she went to work as a social 
worker for the Department of Health and Human Services after her three 
sons became old enough to go to school. Mrs. Thompson worked with low-
income families and said that ``one of the biggest obstacles of 
obtaining services was the lack of transportation.'' During those 
years, Wayne County had no public transportation.
  At the time, Mrs. Thompson had her own car, and was able to drive 
anywhere she wanted to go, at any time.
  Later in life, Mrs. Thompson's husband passed away. Then she was told 
she needed to have both knees replaced. Her two older sons live out of 
state, and her youngest son worked full-time, and was unable to drive 
her to physical therapy sessions.
  Suddenly, Mrs. Thompson realized she was no longer independent and 
that she was now one of the people who need public transportation. But 
unlike the earlier years, when she worked to help low-income families 
who had no access to public transportation, Wayne County now offered 
public transportation.
  As Mrs. Thompson said, ``Thanks to public transportation, I was able 
to obtain the medical services that I needed.''
  Mrs. Thompson was able to look at how tough it was, years ago, for 
low-income families in Wayne County to be without public transit, and 
look at how much easier it was for her, while in rehabilitation, to 
receive physical therapy because she could rely on public transit.
  Mrs. Thompson noted that ``Wayne X-Press Public Transit System in 
Wayne, West Virginia provides transportation services to people for 
medical appointments, to jobs, job interviews, job training, social 
activities, senior citizen centers, Adult Day treatment programs, 
general education training, parenting classes, etc.''
  She described public transit as ``the lifeline for the public.''
  As a Member of Congress representing the Third Congressional District 
of West Virginia, I have been working to help low-income, rural West 
Virginians to enhance their quality of life by providing transportation 
to medical care, educational facilities and jobs.
  Public transit helps to create and build jobs, which is a boost to 
the economy. We must maintain and expand public transit programs. When 
we reauthorize the surface transportation legislation in the 108th 
Congress, I will work to continue to strengthen and expand public 
transit programs, to ensure ``the lifeline for the public'' continues.

                                       Fort Gay, West Virginia

                                                     July 16, 2002
     United States Senate,
     Banking, Housing, and Urban Development, Subcommittee on 
         Housing and Transportation, Washington, DC.
       Mr. Chairman and Committee Members: It is an honor to be 
     with you here today to talk about something that is dear to 
     my heart. First, let me tell you something about myself. My 
     late husband and I raised three sons, and that was an 
     experience in itself. After my children got into school, my 
     husband who was employed by the Norfolk and Western Railroad 
     went to work and I started back to school to become an 
     elementary school teacher in a one room schoolhouse in rural 
     Appalachia, West Virginia.
       I saw the many challenges of the rural Appalachian people, 
     so I changed careers and became a Social Worker for the 
     Department of Health and Human Resources in rural West 
     Virginia. Throughout my career, I worked with low income 
     families and one of the biggest obstacles of obtaining 
     services was the lack of transportation. At that time there 
     was no public transportation in Wayne County. Throughout my 
     twenty-two years in my career there was always a need for 
     individuals to access, services. Throughout my life I have 
     been a very independent person as you can see, raising a 
     family, starting not just one career but two in my life, and 
     having the priviledge of having my own transportation. Most 
     of us take for granted picking up our car keys, going out of 
     the house, and going anywhere we want to go.
       Even though I have always recognized the need for rural 
     transportation. I never thought that it would be something 
     that I would need. After my husband passed away, I lived 
     alone in my home. I then downsized to an apartment. I was 
     still able to go to my homemaker meetings, church activities, 
     Board Member meetings, volunteer work, and continued to meet 
     my friends for lunch and social activities. My physician 
     informed me that I was going to have to have both of my knees 
     replaced. He stated that after my surgery and rehabilitation 
     that I would need to go to physical therapy three times a 
     week for several weeks. My two eldest sons both live out of 
     state and my youngest son works full-time, therefore was 
     unable to take me to my therapy sessions. I then realized 
     that I was one of the people who needed transportation. I was 
     no longer independent and this was quite a shock to me. 
     Thanks to Public Transportation I was able to obtain the 
     medical services that I needed.
       Being a member of Wayne County Community Service 
     Organization, Inc. Board of Directors, I can sit here today 
     in front of you and let you know how important the Public 
     Transit System is to the people. How it enables them to 
     access needed services. Wayne X-Press Public Transit System 
     in Wayne, West Virginia provides transportation services to 
     people for medical appointments, to jobs, job interviews, job 
     training, social activities, senior citizen centers, Adult 
     Day treatment programs, general education training, parenting 
     classes, etc. I'm here today to ask you distinguished ladies 
     and gentlemen to continue funding for Public Transit Systems. 
     Why, because it is the lifeline for the public. So I invite 
     all of you to Wayne County, West Virginia to ``hop aboard'' 
     the Wayne X-Press.

                                                 Faye Thompson

     

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