The Coalition to Keep Bus Service on Rodney Square is seeking federal assistance in restoring the Rodney Square transit hub.
Meanwhile, one of the coalition's leaders, John Flaherty is calling for all of Gov. John Carney’s emails about his decision to dismantle the hub last December to be made public.
Flaherty said more than 100 pages of Carney’s emails provided in response to their open records request were blacked out. The coalition, along with other groups and individuals, have asked Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn to make those portions of the emails public.
“I’m anxiously awaiting to hear why the governor would declare executive privilege and why he would personally be involved in moving a bus stop," he said.
An opinion from the AG’s office is expected next month. A spokesman for Carney says they’re are reviewing the coalition’s appeal.
Flaherty said some of the unredacted emails already seem to show private businesses drove the policy change. It's the topic of the meeting with an official with the Federal Transit Administration in the coming weeks.
“When you have private interests driving public policy, you get into some gray areas here and we intend to shine some light on some of these areas when we meet with the regional administrator on August 9th in Philadelphia,” he said.
Flaherty said those emails could help prove that Carney violated the Civil Rights Act.
Advocates argue the changes affect mostly the poor, minorities, seniors, children and the disabled. Paula Maiorano, chair of the Coalition to Dismantle the New Jim Crow, said many take the bus because it's the only way they can get to work.
"It's truly an outrage to subject people that have to take two buses to get their jobs to this kind of inconvenience," she said.
The governor office's has previously said the route changes were to ease congestion around the square and this is just until a new Wilmington transit center opens in late 2019.
