Bus and walk to Albemarle's urban ring

These days, if I have to drive somewhere, I generally feel unhappy about it. I have done so much work in my head to question every single vehicle trip.

Tonight I have been invited to dinner at a house in Albemarle's urban ring. I'm going to try to get there on the bus.

I am concerned about the detour that will run February 24 through March 9. Others on this 11 bus are concerned as well. The driver tells a passenger he doesn’t know how the Lucky 7 lot will be used as a temporary transit center. I went ahead and got a pass so I can track it all myself.

I hope one day you can renew these online rather than having to do so at the transit station

This is the first time I have used the 11 to get from downtown to Albemarle. The dinner begins at around 6:15. There are eight other people on this bus heading to wherever their lives take them.

Half of these passengers got off in the neighborhood north of the bypass 

I am puzzled when the 11 suddenly heads back up Market Street. This seems like wasted time but another passenger joins us as we stop by the park in the location that was formerly the de facto downtown transit center pre 2007.

As an aside it still boggles my mind that all three of my children were born in this former hospital. And it’s not been a hospital for years. At 46, I understand the whiplash of constant change.

I'm amazed at how our civilization constantly changes, moving faster and forward all of the time. 

Three people get off at corner of Locust and Smith. The bus then heads down another street of single family homes. I know the return journey goes this way, too. I don’t know this area of town well. Doesn’t seem transit oriented.

There's a lot of single family homes in this area. For the people who take this way, this is not a waste of time. But as this area redevelops, there should be more housing units. 

The driver explains to a regular passenger that during the detour, buses will go in the opposite direction on Market Street. That passenger disembarks just before we get to Park Street, which becomes Rio Road. If we would unify street names, we might find more unity.

Finally we are heading north on a main road. In the county along those route you begin to see more density, which is consistent with the Albemarle Comprehensive Plan. A lot of people who live here in old and new homes don’t like the idea or more new homes.

And 25 minutes later, we are at Fashion Square Mall. I am early to catch a 5 to get closer to my destination so I am going to walk around. I had a quick beer at Red Robin. I like being here at Fashion Square. It’s nice to have another center where other humans go. And so much has changed so fast. How can planning keep up?

This is where Santa hangs on. Soon the Easter Bunny. For now, a small carousel

The 5 is the only route that only covers Albemarle. This bus stops at Fashion Square Mall twice on its journey around Albemarle. I picked the wrong one and am opting now to walk the rest of the way to my destination. It's about a mile and a half away. That's the same distance between my home and my office.

Three bus routes stop at Fashion Square Mall. 

I am 46. This was built several years after I was born. Now it is obsolete.

Crumbling loading docks

I walked to here. It wasn’t so bad. Saw two other people walking. I wonder sometimes if people are willing to make decisions that inconvenience them. I know I resist change. I hate it. But yet I am forcing myself to make changes. I want others to do the same.

I'm concerned there is no outlet.