Supervisor Jursik meets with Southridge Mall GM on bus stop issue

GREENDALE (WITI) -- Some senior citizens and their Milwaukee County representatives are urging the Southridge Mall bus stop be moved back to its original location. This, after the bus stop was moved to the mall's perimeter back in November.

Folks boarded the County Transit bus at Kelly Senior Center in Cudahy headed to Southridge Mall with a message: Take us to the mall -- as in a mall entrance, and not the perimeter of the mall's parking lot.

Some are upset with the mall's relocation of the bus stop on November 1st -- several hundred feet away from the mall's entrance. Some bus riders say it's more like a thousand feet away.

"I used to come here a lot because I drove then, but now that I don't drive I have to depend on the bus, so now it's a different story," 85-year-old Anna Culjich said.

Culjich says she had a hard time finding the new bus stop shortly after the change.

"Going to the mall -- that's a problem to me because look at that long walk here. There's no sign there where the bus stops, so I was going in circles back and forth," Culjich said.

The riders accompanied Milwaukee County Supervisor Patricia Jursik to the mall. Jursik had a private meeting with mall General Manager Mary Mokwa.

"I relayed the message that this is not an acceptable location for our elderly and handicapped riders. She received my message. Bottom line is, this is not a safe drop off location. I think that at least the door is open for us to perhaps continue talking with management," Jursik told FOX6 News.

During the meeting, Jursik presented the mall's GM with a letter signed by several County supervisors requesting the mall find a more suitable alternative to the current bus stop.

While mall management would not speak with FOX6 News, they released a statement, reading as follows:

“The bus stop relocation has been in effect for more than a month now thanks to the cooperation of the Milwaukee County Transit System. We remain committed to everyone’s safety at Southridge Mall and this change has improved pedestrian safety and traffic flow for all visitors. The Milwaukee County Transit System Transit Plus service continues to pick up and drop off passengers at every mall entrance.”