HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- I wanted to say thank you to everyone who attended the Town Hall last week. We had a great turnout and many people had good ideas to share and valid concerns to discuss. Stay tuned to Straight Talk for more information on your concerns on traffic safety, parking and a comprehensive calendar available for the entire base population.

Question: With more and more personnel working in Building 1102C again, I noticed that the commuter shuttle makes a stop in the evening to pick up commuters. With the onset of inclement weather, would it be possible to erect a shelter like the one that is located in front of the command building?

Response: Every once in a while someone lobs us a softball and we can provide instant results. There is currently an existing bus shelter on Grenier Street in front of Building 1106 that serves the AFRL complex, including Building 1102C. The shuttle normally works to accommodate the passengers by providing service as close to their work location as possible. If the other riders agree, I recommend asking the driver to make that bus shelter the new pickup location for anyone working in the AFRL buildings, then spread the word.

Speaking of shuttles, are you feeling the pinch in TDY dollars this year? Base personnel may be interested to know they can take the Hanscom shuttle to the airport. It will save almost $100 per TDY in airport parking fees plus mileage costs because the shuttle is free. This creates enough savings for at least one additional trip for those that go TDY once a month. If everyone does it, think of the money it will save the government. The shuttle is available for everyone on TDY orders departing from base. Personnel may park their car in long term parking here at Hanscom and have the shuttle drop them at the airport door. More information can be found on CenterNet. Under Quick Links select HAFB eShuttle. Also check out the article by Mr. Taggart for more details.