In
May 2014, as part of a photo group assignment, I visited a single block of Main
Street on three occasions to see how my images would improve over that period
of time. I became enamored with
the people that traveled daily by bus; some to and from work; some with their
families; some going to school. Twenty-two one-hour visits later I felt as if I
had captured a slice of a Rochester community I was unfamiliar with.
I met many really nice people during the summer and fall of last year. Several of them willingly shared stories with me about their lives and goals and how riding buses allowed them to save the money they needed for their families and some just found it more convenient than driving a car. My small corner had its own “personality.” I quickly felt comfortable going there and in fact looked forward to it each week. My camera was easily seen and many asked what I was doing – and they accepted me.
Recently the major bus shelters on Main St. were shut down once The City of Rochester completed the new bus terminal downtown so as to make it more comfortable and convenient for riders to make connections to their destinations. They closed the four shelters on Main St. My little community was eliminated.
I visited the new terminal to see how these people were enjoying their relocation. Yes, it’s shiny, clean, and new. Yes, it protects riders from the elements. Yes, it’s convenient. But it has no “character;” at least not yet. I honestly felt uncomfortable, nervous, and tense. There are lots of guards and police. Four distinct corner-cultures have been combined into a single undefined community. It’s sad. I liked it better the other way and I think the people that used the shelter on State St. probably feel the same.
