Metro Transit cuts hit close to home

The proposed Metro Transit cuts and fare increase which would affect 70% of all routes, including the complete elimination of 28, hits close to home for me, because I ride the bus to work every day.

In a region gripped by traffic congestion -- a veritable Little Los Angeles -- cutting routes and reducing service is not the direction we want to go in. Ridership on Metro Transit has been falling since the last rate increase in 2001 (fares went from $1 to the inconvenient $1.25). These proposed cuts and 25 cent fare increase will hurt ridership even more.

As usual, the worst off will be the transit-dependent: the car-less poor, the elderly, and disabled folks who can't drive. People, like me, who can afford to drive, but chose not to, will probably give up on the hassle of riding the bus. That means even more cars on the traffic-choked roads, and more congestion for everyone.

Some good may yet come out of this. The Twin Cities' transit investment is pathetic compared to other cities of similar size. Transit advocates have been clamoring for a dedicated source of funding for Metro Transit for years. This year, state legislators are starting to come around. State Representatives and Senators have realized that a balanced transportation policy is vital for a healthy metro area.

If we push, this might be the year that Metro Transit finally gets the dedicated funding it need to build a viable transportation network. Citizens deserve the choice of walking, biking, bus, train, or car. Let's give them that choice. Many will chose alternatives to their car, leaving more room on the roads.

News and Resources:

Skyway News: Transit route cuts: the specifics: "Overall, the system will be cut 10 percent - and since Downtown is a major hub, most of the changes will affect us."

Star Tribune: Bus riders, legislators irked by proposed transit cuts: "For the past five years, Brian Moltz has been walking two blocks from his home in Edina to catch an express bus to work in downtown Minneapolis. But if Metro Transit follows through on a proposed route cut that would move the bus stop to a park-and-ride lot beyond walking distance, he'll likely just hop in his car and stay in it. 'If I've got to take the car out of a nice heated garage anyway, I might as well just drive downtown,' said Moltz, an information systems engineer at Wells Fargo."

Star Tribune editorial: Cut transit?/Not the way to ease traffic: "Let's see if we can get this straight. The biggest problem in the metropolitan area is traffic congestion. That's what the surveys say. The best way to fix the problem is more transit and better transit. Again, that's what the surveys say, and, indeed, the success of the Hiawatha light-rail line has helped people to see how a larger, higher-quality transit system would benefit the entire region. But now comes a recommendation that what's needed are higher fares and drastic service cuts in order to make trains and buses less popular and less dependable. What must be done, really, is to discourage ridership. That way, more commuters will be enticed back into their cars so that they can drive more, pollute more, burn more gasoline, waste more time in traffic and add more to the congestion problem. Does that make sense? No. Is it good public policy? Doubtful. Is it the best foundation on which to build the bigger, better transit system that most people want? Absolutely not."

Minnesota Politics: Transit death spiral: "This latest bunch of budget cuts could very well hasten the end of transit in this area. Metro Transit is already caught in a death spiral: fare increases and cutbacks in 2001 led to lower ridership, as did the strike. Raising prices and cutting service even more will lead to even fewer riders, less farebox revenue, and the need to do this all again in very short order. Eventually, we will have nothing more than a skeleton system, if anything."

Transit for Livable Communities

go Minnesota!