Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1502512
Redding at Ballard-Hudson High School — struggled for recognition in the United States. In Europe he found the widespread respect and admiration his hometown and country once shamefully withheld. Allan Evans lived, died, and was buried in his adopted city of Mannheim, Germany. According to Telegraph columnist Ed Grisamore's 2018 tribute upon his death at age 77, Evans received the German government's highest honor for cultural excellence. Quoting Evans' brother Billy Joe, Grisamore wrote, "He lived well and was loved, fighting for racial equality and justice all his life." Being honored as a Macon Music Master in his hometown meant the world to Evans' surviving siblings, led by his sister Martha Grant. "It was wonderful seeing the families and their reactions to Melody. Words cannot express the joy I felt seeing it drive by as I was waiting to cross the street. Thanks for including our brother, Allan." In 2022 Mayor Lester Miller declared March 11 Kammersanger Allan Evans Day in honor of the late musician. MARCH TOWARD ELECTRIFICATION When Craig Ross, a former MTA board member and chair, became MTA's president and CEO, he pledged to replace the aging fleet. Quipped Ross, "Years ago, more buses were being towed back to the garage than returning under their own power." Ross and his team changed that, purchasing 24 new buses since 2017. By summer 2024, MTA expects to have a total of 14 electric buses, split between fixed route and Paratransit. "To reduce our carbon footprint, our goal is an all-electric fleet by 2030," offered Craig Ross. "It's the wave of the future, and as a result of that first extraordinary federal grant, the future started for MTA in 2019." MTA's then-CFO Danny Thompson, buoyed by support from city leaders including previous mayor Robert Reichert, wrote the proposal for federal transportation grant funding for the purchase of electric buses. GAME CHANGING GRANT In 2019 MTA was the sole Georgia transit authority awarded that grant, and one of only six grantees nationally to win the top prize – $1.75 million. This remarkable windfall enabled MTA to launch the electrification of its fleet. Macon-Bibb County chipped in $1.2 million in SPLOST funds (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) for a charging hub at MTA's Broadway location. MTA began with two, but has expanded to 12, charging stations as they gradually convert the fleet. Additionally, a small secondary hub in MTA's paid parking lot "Plum on Fi h" allows new electric Paratransit buses to stop by for a "sip" (brief recharging). As a result of these efforts, MTA has the distinction of being the first public transit authority in Georgia to operate electric buses on public roads. (While University of Georgia and Atlanta Hartsfield- Jackson Airport began operating electric buses before MTA, they run strictly on their own campuses.) HITTING THE ROAD MTA alternates Melody, Alfred, Sparky and Bolt's routes to give all riders an opportunity to see them. Melody is a fixture at community events like Bike Walk Macon's Open Streets Macon, the annual Cherry Blossom parade, and elementary school career days that teach local children about public transit, career opportunities, and their city's musical talent. At Matilda Hartley Elementary School, a student recently excitedly told Principal Carmalita Dillard his grandfather, Arthur "Bo" Ponder, was featured on the bus. Those are the connections the MTA seeks to make with the children and community it serves. MTA is a transportation lifeline for passengers, delivering them to work, college, the grocery store, and pharmacy, but has an equally strong interest in spearheading civic cultural projects, like grant-funded murals Spirit of Macon I and II at the corner of Fi h and Poplar, and its latest grant-funded project, Transporting Art: Enhancing MTA's Bus Shelters. This work daily demonstrates that "We're More Than a Bus Ride." Jami Gaudet is employed by the Macon-Bibb Transit Authority. THE MEANING OF MELODY Kay Welch (daughter of Percy Welch) The press conference was such a great day for me and my sisters. We will forever be grateful for putting our father on the Macon Music Master bus. My heart is still so full when I think about it. My brother-in-law tells me that whenever he sees the bus he says, "Hey, I saw my father-in-law today." I'm happy to see Melody on the move and making new friends, and I love seeing the pictures with children. JUNE/JULY 2023 | maconmagazine.com 83