Students these days are so lazy...Instead of taking it to the streets like their parents' generation and brandishing signs and making noise they're opting to stay inside, chained to their computers. Except sometimes they discover that the medium is what makes the message, and in the SGV right now students who want the Gold Line extended to Montclair have found that their campaign is positively viral.
Students have created a website called I Will Ride which is an information and signature-gathering site sitting on some virtual real estate aimed at getting a petition filled to present to the MTA to request they include parts east in their long-range plans for growth. According to the Pasadena Star News, the Metro Board "voted in January against doing so but has until June to finalize the plan." The report also explains how the students are hoping to spread the word about their wishes online: "The Web site also features a page for users to upload their own YouTube video testimonials in favor of the extension, and the students are expanding their campaign through cyberspace by tapping into social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook."
Those involved in the grassroots (or should we call it webroots?) campaign cite traffic troubles and a desire to help the environment as main reasons for wanting the light rail service in their area, as well as the fact that the San Gabriel Valley would benefit from having more transit options for its residents. They feel the area is being ignored by the MTA, and say this website is a call to action. So if you want to get on board, first get online.
Photo by resedabear via Flickr
