After years of fighting City Hall on behalf of bus riders, Mary Johnson had a once-in-a-lifetime experience: A city official responded to her complaint immediately — and fixed it.
Johnson (at left in this file photo), a retired schoolteacher and lifelong community activist, called new city transportation czar Mike Piscitelli Thursday. She was upset that because of the changing of downtown bus routes this week for the filming of Indiana Jones IV, the elderly and disabled had to walk blocks to make connections.
Piscitelli (pictured) got on the phone. Within hours the operators of the downtown free trolley agreed to ferry riders from State and Chapel to the Green to make their connections.
Johnson Friday said she is “pleased” — and amazed.
“This is the first time anything like this has ever happened,” she said. Johnson led a group of activists who fought for years to return bus stops to the Green, and eventually won, politely yet indefatigably keeping after unresponsive city officials along the way. That’s why she was tickled this time. “A city official actually did something [in response to a bus complaint] to alleviate the situation — and reported back to me!” she said. “I can’t get over it.”
Mike Piscitelli, she added, “seems to be very nice.”