Dial-a-ride? Passengers Say 'it's Great'

"It's real great!" This was the reaction of several passengers who rode on one of the three purple and yellow van-type mini buses as Ann Arbor's Dial-a-Ride bus experiment began today. Mike Berla, a member of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, expects about 25 people to use the system today. He attributed the small number of passengers to the newness of the program. Thomas Urbanik, the city's coördinator for the system, said by about 11:15 a.m. today there had been 17 passengers. The service is limited to the southwest area of town during its initial six-month phase. Residents in the target area will be provided door-step service to and from the central business district on demand. There is no schedule. Berla said residents need only wait 10 to 15 minutes to be picked up by the buses. Mrs. Lucita Palmer of 1511 Catalina r said the bus was waiting for her after she called for a ride. After being picked up at 7:30 a.m., she was dropped off 12 minutes later at Jacobson's on Maynard. Mrs. Palmer said she was going to a Germán class at the University. "It picked me up in front of my house. It's just like a taxi. I plan to use it every day. You don't need a second car. Everyone should use this system if they can," she said. Mrs. Palmer used to be driven by her husband. Mrs. Maggie Beek, driver of the bus from the downtown loop to the StadiumPauline area, said she had six passengers by about 9:30 a.m. which represented one passenger each at six different stops. She said passengers may obtain a transfer for a regular city bus. Mrs. Joyce Williams, who drives a city bus, was also a passenger on the dial-aride bus. "I think this system is the coming thing," she said. Another passenger was Molly O'Neill of 1800 Stadium who was picked up in front of her apartment building after waiting five minutes. She said she was going to work at the Little Things Síiop on State St. Miss O'Neill said that although she used to ride her bike to work, it is now broken. Recently she has had to hitch a ride to work. Also picked up at the corner of Stadium and Pauline was Mrs. Mona Walz of 1718 Arbordale, who lives about a fiveminute walk from the pickup point. Mrs. Walz, who is a gradúate student in urban planning and was going to class on campus, said, "I feel we have to support the mass transit system. I plah to use the bus system twice a week. Before, I drove my car. I feel so many women spend their entire afternoon driving their children to different places. Now, they can use this system." Mrs. Beek explained that exact change of 60 cents is needed to ride the system. The buses only wait unless they are told to by the dispatcher. The Dial-a-Ride service operates from 6:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through I Thursday and from 6:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. I Friday and Saturday. The Dial-a-Ride I phone is 663-4292. I