Photo By Giancarlo Casem | Norm Hickling, Director of Strategic Planning and Development for the Antelope Valley...... read more read more
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The 412th Test Wing hosted a town hall meeting at the base theater at Edwards Air Force Base, California, Nov. 27.
Norm Hickling, Director of Strategic Planning and Development for the Antelope Valley Transit Authority discussed the current status of brining commuter bus services to the base.
“In October we decided to do a population survey, that survey showed there was a great demand and a lot of folks were very interested,” Hickling said. “Initially, we’re going to run two 60-foot buses out here. They’re a real joy to ride in and very, very comfortable. The buses have Wi-Fi, so you can work on your laptop all the way in to work, and if you haven’t finished up doing your emails after work, you can do those on the way back.”
Although the planned bus schedule is not the first time such a service will be available, Hickling reassured those at the meeting that the AVTA is committed to making sure the Edwards AFB route is permanent.
“I want to make very clear, even though it folded after six months back in 2004, it’s not going to go away,” he said “We are going to do this, we’re already talking about expanding into weekends or even late hours.”
He also explained that family members may also take round-trip rides into Palmdale and Lancaster areas.
“We want to increase the quality of life the Airmen, their families and retirees who come out here to the base and call it home,” Hickling added. “You’re going to see more and more buses arriving out here, so you know we’re training our operators, because nothing’s worse than being on a bus that’s going the wrong way.”
Hickling said the bus routes are scheduled to come into effect in mid- to late-January 2019. The exact details and bus schedules will be released to Edwards personnel closer to the proposed start date. The fares will be $175 per month, per rider. This monthly pass will allow riders to also ride on any AVTA buses an unlimited number of times. Other price options include a 10-ride pass for $45, and one-way passes for $5.
Other presenters at the event discussed on-going base-improvement projects. Janice Hollen, director 412th Force Support Squadron, highlighted construction at the bowling center and installation of a splash play area.
“If you’ve been to the bowling center, you would have seen a lot of renovation going on there,” Hollen said. “We’ve removed four lanes and it allowed us to create an arcade and an indoor playground space. We’re excited about that, it’s something new to do at Edwards.”
The meeting facilitator, Col. Jeffry Hollman, 412 Mission Support Group commander, said community engagement events are important because the issues or concerns raised at these events ultimately help the Edwards community as a whole.
“This is your community, so it’s important you take the opportunity to participate, that way you can be involved,” Hollman said.
| Date Taken: | 12.06.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.06.2018 18:00 |
| Story ID: | 302508 |
| Location: | EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 167 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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