Daily News article 7/26-08
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Nils Peterson
Jul 29, 2008, 11:34:21 PM7/29/08
to SaveTheBus
Riders wary as city ponders push to end free bus transit
By Tara Roberts, Daily News staff writer
July 26, 2008
Jordan Stebbins is a Moscow Valley Transit regular.
He, his wife, Noelle, and their daughter, Audrey, rode the Moscow
Valley Transit bus from the Eastside Marketplace to the University of
Idaho Wednesday afternoon. Jordan rides the bus every day to his
graduate school classes at UI during the school year.
"It saves me at least 100 bucks a month," Jordan said.
The Stebbins family's savings might not be so much, however, if the
bus were to start charging riders.
The Moscow City Council added $20,000 for public transit to the city's
proposed 2009 fiscal year budget, which will be finalized at an Aug. 4
public hearing. Moscow Valley Transit already receives $60,000 from
the city and can apply for the money, but only if it adds fare boxes
to its two Moscow bus routes.
City Councilman Dan Carscallen said after the city's budget workshop
last week that Moscow Valley Transit "can't do it for free forever"
because it needs a way to pay for fuel and other escalating costs.
Jordan Stebbins said he'd like to see the bus stay free, but he'd be
open to the idea of an inexpensive monthly pass for regular riders.
Noelle Stebbins said the free bus is a selling point for Moscow.
"Lots of people are surprised that Moscow has a free bus system," she
said. "It impresses people."
Other riders agreed they'd rather not see a charge.
"I guess it would depend on how much and what sort of schedule,
whether it was per ride or monthly," said UI student Laurel McCord,
who rides the bus daily. "It could get pretty pricey if it was per
ride and you ride a lot per day."
Jordan Stebbins said a fare could be a barrier for the high school and
junior high students he often sees on the bus.
McCord rides with many elderly and disabled people, and said she's
concerned it would be hard for them to pay.
"And students ride," she added. "They never have any money."
McCord might be willing to sacrifice free bus rides in return for
buses that run on the weekends and later in the evening.
Pullman Transit has more extensive hours of service as well as more
routes than Moscow. Riders are charged fares, and some organizations
have contracts with the bus system.
For example, Washington State University students pay $15 a semester
in student fees to help support the bus system. This adds up to about
$400,000-$450,000 a year for Pullman Transit, said Fixed Route Service
Coordinator Chris Mitchell. Students can board buses free with their
student IDs.
Mitchell said most Pullman Transit riders are students, but the fares
aren't a block to other riders.
"From our perspective, no, I don't believe it has any big impact on
(ridership)," he said.
Moscow resident Michelle Ownbey rode a Moscow Valley Transit bus from
WinCo to her home on Wednesday because her car broke down. She said
she likely wouldn't ride at all if the bus added fares.
"I just don't have the funds to," she said. "I think it's OK for them
to charge, I just probably wouldn't be able to ride if they did."
Valley Transit Executive Director Tom La Pointe said the decision
about whether to charge fares is ultimately up to the Valley Transit
board of directors. The company would host a public hearing to gather
input if it considers charging fares.
La Pointe said costs are going up for the transit company, but there
are downsides to fares.
Federally funded transit programs like Moscow Valley Transit are
limited in how they can use fare money. The money can be used for gas
or equipment, but can't be used as matching money for grants. Moscow
Valley Transit is paid for largely by federal grants, with cash and in-
kind match from the city of Moscow, the University of Idaho and New
Saint Andrews College.
La Pointe said Moscow Valley Transit would be better off getting money
it can use as match, since there is more than $125,000 in potential
grant money available that the company can't access right now without
it. La Pointe requested $90,000 from the city to use as cash and
match.
"With more match, we can do more," he said.
La Pointe said charging people to ride a service that is already paid
for by tax money is like taxing them twice. Installing fare boxes also
costs money, as does paying Valley Transit staff from Lewiston to
collect and count fares.
Valley Transit does charge fares in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. La
Pointe said transit grant money in the valley is managed by local
governments instead of Valley Transit because it's a larger urban area
and receives a different class of grants. As a result, the local
governments choose whether to charge fares.
"When it was up to us, it was free," he said.
La Pointe said ridership levels drop every time fares increase in the
valley, and take more than a year to bounce back. He is not sure how
much Moscow riders would be willing to pay before they quit riding the
bus.
"The idea at a time when gas is $4.12 or $4.20 a gallon and going
higher, that we would dissuade people from taking the bus by charging
fares is illogical," he said. "I doesn't make sense to me."
Tara Roberts can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 234, or by e-mail
at trob...@dnews.com.
By Tara Roberts, Daily News staff writer
July 26, 2008
Jordan Stebbins is a Moscow Valley Transit regular.
He, his wife, Noelle, and their daughter, Audrey, rode the Moscow
Valley Transit bus from the Eastside Marketplace to the University of
Idaho Wednesday afternoon. Jordan rides the bus every day to his
graduate school classes at UI during the school year.
"It saves me at least 100 bucks a month," Jordan said.
The Stebbins family's savings might not be so much, however, if the
bus were to start charging riders.
The Moscow City Council added $20,000 for public transit to the city's
proposed 2009 fiscal year budget, which will be finalized at an Aug. 4
public hearing. Moscow Valley Transit already receives $60,000 from
the city and can apply for the money, but only if it adds fare boxes
to its two Moscow bus routes.
City Councilman Dan Carscallen said after the city's budget workshop
last week that Moscow Valley Transit "can't do it for free forever"
because it needs a way to pay for fuel and other escalating costs.
Jordan Stebbins said he'd like to see the bus stay free, but he'd be
open to the idea of an inexpensive monthly pass for regular riders.
Noelle Stebbins said the free bus is a selling point for Moscow.
"Lots of people are surprised that Moscow has a free bus system," she
said. "It impresses people."
Other riders agreed they'd rather not see a charge.
"I guess it would depend on how much and what sort of schedule,
whether it was per ride or monthly," said UI student Laurel McCord,
who rides the bus daily. "It could get pretty pricey if it was per
ride and you ride a lot per day."
Jordan Stebbins said a fare could be a barrier for the high school and
junior high students he often sees on the bus.
McCord rides with many elderly and disabled people, and said she's
concerned it would be hard for them to pay.
"And students ride," she added. "They never have any money."
McCord might be willing to sacrifice free bus rides in return for
buses that run on the weekends and later in the evening.
Pullman Transit has more extensive hours of service as well as more
routes than Moscow. Riders are charged fares, and some organizations
have contracts with the bus system.
For example, Washington State University students pay $15 a semester
in student fees to help support the bus system. This adds up to about
$400,000-$450,000 a year for Pullman Transit, said Fixed Route Service
Coordinator Chris Mitchell. Students can board buses free with their
student IDs.
Mitchell said most Pullman Transit riders are students, but the fares
aren't a block to other riders.
"From our perspective, no, I don't believe it has any big impact on
(ridership)," he said.
Moscow resident Michelle Ownbey rode a Moscow Valley Transit bus from
WinCo to her home on Wednesday because her car broke down. She said
she likely wouldn't ride at all if the bus added fares.
"I just don't have the funds to," she said. "I think it's OK for them
to charge, I just probably wouldn't be able to ride if they did."
Valley Transit Executive Director Tom La Pointe said the decision
about whether to charge fares is ultimately up to the Valley Transit
board of directors. The company would host a public hearing to gather
input if it considers charging fares.
La Pointe said costs are going up for the transit company, but there
are downsides to fares.
Federally funded transit programs like Moscow Valley Transit are
limited in how they can use fare money. The money can be used for gas
or equipment, but can't be used as matching money for grants. Moscow
Valley Transit is paid for largely by federal grants, with cash and in-
kind match from the city of Moscow, the University of Idaho and New
Saint Andrews College.
La Pointe said Moscow Valley Transit would be better off getting money
it can use as match, since there is more than $125,000 in potential
grant money available that the company can't access right now without
it. La Pointe requested $90,000 from the city to use as cash and
match.
"With more match, we can do more," he said.
La Pointe said charging people to ride a service that is already paid
for by tax money is like taxing them twice. Installing fare boxes also
costs money, as does paying Valley Transit staff from Lewiston to
collect and count fares.
Valley Transit does charge fares in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. La
Pointe said transit grant money in the valley is managed by local
governments instead of Valley Transit because it's a larger urban area
and receives a different class of grants. As a result, the local
governments choose whether to charge fares.
"When it was up to us, it was free," he said.
La Pointe said ridership levels drop every time fares increase in the
valley, and take more than a year to bounce back. He is not sure how
much Moscow riders would be willing to pay before they quit riding the
bus.
"The idea at a time when gas is $4.12 or $4.20 a gallon and going
higher, that we would dissuade people from taking the bus by charging
fares is illogical," he said. "I doesn't make sense to me."
Tara Roberts can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 234, or by e-mail
at trob...@dnews.com.
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