As a resident of the Bellwood Terrace apartments off Jefferson Davis Highway, Hugh Slusser has provided neighbors in nearby trailer parks with a much-needed service.

Since GRTC Transit System buses travel only so far into Chesterfield County, Slusser has given residents rides up and down the high way in his '94 Ford Ranger. He gleaned that they needed mass transit.

It's an easy conclusion to draw. This is not Woodlake or Salisbury or another verdant community filled with sleek sedans and toll-paying commuters. The relatively low-income Jeff Davis corridor includes trailer parks and a substantial Hispanic immigrant population.

"I got the idea in my head that the truck's not going to last forever and I don't have any money. There's a need for transportation," said Slusser, 52.

Thinking merchants along the strip would appreciate the business, Slusser envisioned a bus route that would extend from the 5700 block of Jeff Davis and go as far south as Chester. Indeed, in a recent interview, John M. Lewis Jr., chief executive officer of GRTC, told me the highway was among the logical places for the transit company to expand its service.

Slusser sent an e-mail to Bermuda District Supervisor Dorothy A. Jaeckle about extending the bus route.

Jaeckle's reply?

"I think bus service would be the least efficient way to provide transportation for the disabled and those with limited funds," she wrote. "Not only is it very costly but it rarely can transport people to where they want to go especially if they are older and disabled. Are you familiar with the Access Chesterfield program?"

Access Chesterfield provides transportation to county residents who are disabled, 60 years of age or older or meet income eligibility guidelines. A book of five vouchers -- a voucher pays for a one-way trip -- costs $30.

Jaeckle did not return phone messages yesterday, so we have no clue what transportation options she maintains are more efficient than bus service.

For years, the Chesterfield supervisors have been comically bus-averse -- a position that is becoming increasingly untenable as gas hits $4 a gallon with no relief in site.

Given the county's history, it's easy to view Jaeckle's response as another lame excuse.

Besides, the county has already tipped its hand. Last year, it began razing trailer parks, forcing hundreds of residents to find new places to live, as part of its plan to build condos, apartments, houses and stores along a 9-mile stretch of Jefferson Davis between the Richmond city limits and state Route 10.

More mass transit is clearly not a part of the plan.

But it should be. The housing market has tanked. Cars are running on empty. We're seeing tales of an urban renaissance as suburban and exurban residents, daunted by higher fuel costs, gaze longingly in the direction of city skylines.

Suburban planners are ushering in urban-style communities with sidewalks, parks and paths. Paint is peeling on the old suburban model.

But at heart, this is a matter of compassion. When the middle class is squeezed enough to drift toward mass transit, you know the less affluent are hurting. They need access to basic needs.
Contact Michael Paul Williams at (804) 649-6815 or mwilliams@timesdispatch.com.