BCT Editorial – 2/29/08

This page was last updated on February 29, 2008.

Healthy trend; Editorial; Beaver County Times; February 29, 2008.

This editorial subtitle is “Increase of riders shows a growing need for mass transit services.”

The editorial tells us that because BCTA ridership has increased 10% over the last year, lawmakers in Harrisburg should throw more taxpayer dollars at government-run, taxpayer-funded bus systems.

In neither the editorial nor the “news” article upon which it was based did we read what percent of capacity BCTA is running at. Perhaps I just happen to see the buses at the wrong time and/or places, but the buses – both small and large – rarely appear to have more than a few riders. We also didn’t read anything telling us what level of ridership would be required to end taxpayer subsidies so BCTA, et al could be dissolved and replaced by private bus service vendors like we used to have.

As I’ve said before, I’m against government-run, taxpayer-funded bus systems. If they’re going to exist, however, the riders should foot the entire bill.