http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/sep/18/pednet091811/
BY THE REV. CARMEN WILLIAMS AND MATTHEW KRIETE
With all the talk of budgets, route cuts and fare increases, it is easy to forget there are thousands of real people who depend on Columbia Transit for their transportation needs and thousands more who would like to use it.
Let us introduce you to a few of those people.
Beth is a Web designer at Columbia College and does not drive a car. She chose to live in Columbia because it was a walkable city with a good transit system. She specifically chose her home location based on access to a bus route.
Boris is from Bolivia. He has a full scholarship at the University of Missouri and uses Columbia Transit for all his journeys. He hopes a reduction of services can be avoided. “Using the bus will become a lot more difficult for a lot more people,” he said.
Damoren uses an electric wheelchair. Because his chair does not fit into his friends’ cars, he relies on the bus service for all of his transportation needs. “It’s the only way I can get around,” he told us. “If my bus was cut, I wouldn’t be able to travel anymore.”
Darin, who lives in southwest Columbia, is the executive director of a not-for-profit organization with a downtown office. He wants to reduce his driving and go from two family cars to one, but the nearest bus stop is a mile and a half from his home.
Jade is a ninth-grader at West Junior High School. She plays on the volleyball team and attends practices after school. With her mom working two jobs and two younger kids at home, Jade would have to quit the team if evening service were canceled.
Kathleen is an active volunteer with numerous community organizations. She would love to use the bus to get around, but most of her journeys would take an hour and a half by bus, so she uses her van instead.
Stacia and her husband live in central Columbia, on a bus line. They would like to take transit on a regular basis, but with 40-minute or 80-minute gaps between buses, that just doesn’t work.
So how should Columbia meet the needs of its residents and tighten its budget belt? Transit ridership has grown rapidly in recent years, but the existing funding mechanism has been unable to keep up, so City Manager Mike Matthes has proposed fare increases, cuts in eligibility for half-fare, elimination of Thursday/Friday evening service and other route reductions.
While we understand the importance of fiscal responsibility — in fact, because we understand the importance of fiscal responsibility — we oppose these cuts. They target our most vulnerable citizens, they will keep low-income workers from getting to their jobs and students from getting to class, and they will get in the way of economic growth. Columbia needs a modern, efficient transit system to thrive. Employers need to know their employees can get to work reliably. And none of us needs the increased taxes and fees required to maintain Columbia’s aging street infrastructure. Expanded transit will reduce wear and tear on the entire street network, allow for denser development and reduce the need for street-widening projects.
The good news is that we have a strong vision for the future of transit in Columbia. After studying other college towns in the Midwest, Mayor Bob McDavid has proposed a “student-centric” system that will quadruple revenues and enable Columbia Transit to provide first-rate service for students and all Columbians.
As leaders with Columbians for Modern, Efficient Transit (CoMET), we are proud to participate in a movement that is creating awareness of the benefits of expanded transit for our community. The community must come together to implement the mayor’s vision; at the same time, we must not allow Columbia Transit’s momentum for growth to be lost.
At our Sept. 1 meeting, the CoMET campaign team:
PEndorsed the mayor’s initiative to create an improved public transit system for all of Columbia.
PRecommended eliminating half-fare eligibility for students older than 18 but maintaining half-fare eligibility for all other current categories and providing free travel for children younger than 5.
PExpressed grave concerns about a reduction in the operating hours and urged the Columbia City Council to increase ridership and identify other funds to preserve Thursday and Friday evening service for one year until a new student-centric system is launched.
If you support the vision of a modern, efficient transit system, invite your friends and family to join CoMET at www.pednet.org/comet, contact your council member and the mayor to show support for the student-centric system, and oppose the cuts. Then ride the bus — even if it is not the most convenient way to get around right now.
The Rev. Carmen G. Williams is the pastor of Russell Chapel CME Church and a member of the Columbia Human Rights Commission. Matthew Kriete, P.E., is a local consulting engineer and a concerned citizen. Both are members of Columbians for Modern, Efficient Transit.