This page was last updated on March 24, 2011.
Now’s the time for more public transit; Janet Caldarelli; Beaver County Times; March 24, 2011.
Some previous Caldarelli letters are here, here, and here.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“I do not understand why the Port Authority is severely cutting service when it has $145 million that it’s not spending.
“It appears that the big money people who are making these decisions can’t see the whole picture. I believe this situation should be investigated.”
[RWC] I believe the figure is $45 million, not $145 million. It was a one-time transfer of unspent federal transportation tax dollars intended to help patch a $47 million deficit. Further, the Port Authority (PAAC) is spending the money, $33.8 million this fiscal year and $11.2 next year. The money still didn’t allow the PAAC to avoid cuts. A private bus company plans to offer its own service for at least one of the cut routes, which is the way it should be anyway. Remember, that’s how mass transit worked before the government got involved in the 1960s.
“With the rising cost of gasoline, more people will be using public transportation, not only to go to work but for all other needs. They also lose sight of the fact that not everyone can afford an automobile or even has a driver’s license.”
[RWC] Fine, but we taxpayers subsidize “public transportation.” Why shouldn’t these patrons pay their own way? I don’t expect mass transit users to pay for my car and its fuel, insurance, maintenance, et cetera. They should not expect me to pay for their bus ride.
“Elderly or physically challenged individuals rely on public transportation for doctor appointments, shopping, or merely their daily needs. What are they to do?”
[RWC] Does providing transportation for “[e]lderly or physically challenged individuals” require full-blown government-run mass transit systems? I’m willing to bet private businesses and charities would jump in to provide the necessary service at no cost to the taxpayer.
“It would behoove the Beaver County Transit Authority to take advantage of this situation and put on more buses, have them run more often and later, and institute bus service on Sundays.”
[RWC] Who would pay for all this? As noted above, we taxpayers subsidize “public transportation.” I’ll go out on a limb and guess the BCTA knows the demand isn’t there. Remember, demand isn’t just about potential customers saying, “yeah, we’d take that bus.” It also includes “and we’re willing to pay what it costs to provide the service.”
© 2004-2011 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.