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VA'S NEW RENO REGIONAL OFFICE OPENS OFF BUS
LINE --
VA says it won't be a problem. DAV says some
vets may
be unable to find transportation to the office.
What was the VA thinking when they put the
Regional Office where there is no bus line?
It's obvious they weren't thinking.
Story here...
http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.
dll/article?AID=/20070710/NEWS
10/707100344/1016/NEWS
Story below:
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Regional VA office opens off bus lines
FRANK X. MULLEN
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
The new $8.5 million Department of Veterans
Affairs facility in Reno officially opens today with all veterans
records under one roof, an energy-efficient building and what officials
say will be streamlined claims services.
But it lacks one thing the old building had: bus service.
VA officials said Monday that the lack of bus service won't be a problem
because people can use the Access buses (formerly CitiLift service) and
few veterans depend on buses to get to the claims center. But some
veterans and veterans advocates disagreed.
"There are those who feel (bus service) isn't an issue, but our office
found that in our previous location we had about six to 10 vets per week
using buses to get to the DAV," said Fred Wagar, director of the
Disabled American Veterans office in Reno, which is housed within the
new VA building.
"In our opinion, those six to 10 veterans a week are going to have to
find some other way to get access. They may be unable to find
transportation to the regional office."
Only veterans who are unable to walk to the regular bus stops are
eligible for Access service, and although some taxi companies offer a $5
discount for trips to the VA, the trip can still be $30 to $50 per cab
ride.
Regional Transportation Commission officials said the VA has asked about
bus service to the new location, but they said the site is "challenging"
because there is no existing bus service within a mile of the building.
"At the moment, it's not cost-effective in any shape or form to get bus
service to that location," said David Jickling of RTC. "... There are a
lot of places with a much higher ridership demand."
Jickling noted that RTC reconfigured routes several years ago to serve
the Terminal Way VA offices, but when the federal government chose the
Reno Commercial site three years ago, bus service wasn't part of the
planning. He said other businesses are scheduled to eventually move to
the area, but a bus route that could serve the VA center is "two or
three years out."
The center will serve 244,000 veterans in Northern Nevada and about
7,000 in four northeastern California counties. The office serves 28,264
veterans or survivors now receiving compensation or pension payments.
"It's a much nicer facility and a more secure environment," said
Kathleen Taylor, VA spokesperson. "It's also a green building, more
energy and cost efficient."
The new regional office at 5460 Reno Corporate Drive replaces the office
on Terminal Way that officials say was outdated and crowded. Taylor said
the VA's focus is to make sure veterans receive the benefits they
deserve and to make them aware they are entitled to them.
The regional office acts as an intake center where veterans' needs are
assessed and their eligibility certified. Some of the programs offered
include disability compensation and pension, survivors' benefits,
vocational rehabilitation, employment and educational assistance,
home-loan guarantees and life insurance coverage.
The new 35,000-square-foot facility, designed to increase efficiency and
meet an expanding veteran population, is also in the process of being
certified as a Leadership Excellence in Environmental Design building by
the U.S. Green Council. Categories such as water efficiency, energy and
atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, and more are examined for
certification.
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Larry Scott --
