County Commission, keep the Bus rolling

By TIMES EDITORIAL
Published July 22, 2007

Proponents of discontinuing THE Bus as a means to cut the Hernando County Commission's general fund expenditures are shortsighted in their zeal for thrift.

Since October 2003, taxpayers have pumped about $4.3-million into the county's only public transportation system. However, of that total, only about $1.3-million has come from the taxes paid by Hernando County residents. The rest has come from federal grants, which local residents have paid in an amount proportional to taxpayers everywhere else in the United States.

Anyone who thinks it isn't a bargain when others kick in about 60 percent of the bottom line for a purely local program -a 3-1 funding ratio - lacks business acumen. Parking the five buses, as some have suggested, would be equivalent to flushing more than $4.3-million in federal and local taxes down the drain. More important, it would purge a fundamental part of the county's transportation infrastructure, the need for which will become more pronounced.

If the County Commission eliminated or curtailed THE Bus' operation now, it would undo years of planning, work and funding. It also would effectively eliminate the opportunity for more federal grants to resurrect THE Bus. Why would the federal government throw good money after bad to a county that reneged on its first promise to promote public transportation? That means next time - and make no mistake, that day will come - the cost almost certainly will be borne solely by local taxpayers.

Since fiscal year 2003-04, annual ridership on THE Bus has increased from about 78,000 to 158,000. That's not dramatic, but it is significant for a fledgling operation, considering the county's sprawling geography and populace.

One of the most noticeable signs that THE Bus provides a valuable service is the shift in the demographics of riders. The early users were mostly seniors and the disadvantaged; while their participation remains keen, it now is common to see teenagers and working people making use of the inexpensive transportation ($1.50 for an all-day pass, with 50 percent discounts for seniors and students). It is reasonable to speculate that the higher cost of living, especially fuel, is forcing some people who can't afford a vehicle and insurance to look for alternative means of transportation.

Since the County Commission approved THE Bus in 2000, administrators have demonstrated commendable readiness to adapt the transit service to the needs of residents. They have added routes, erected shelters and extended the hours of operation. All those efforts have been based on residents' surveys and have proved to be worthwhile investments in a vital component of the county's transportation network.

County commissioners will be under pressure at hearings this week, and for a few weeks to come, as they mull their spending plan for fiscal year 2007-08, to make deep cuts in the operating budget. Those proposed decreases have been closely guarded by the administration recently and residents are eager to see where they will find savings. Indeed, cuts are both in order and inevitable, considering the state Legislature's mandates.

But it would be a mistake for the commission to squander the money that has been invested in THE Bus, or to lose sight of the long-term benefit to Hernando County residents, whose need for public transit is growing. Curtailing THE Bus' funding, or even the level of service, would be an ill-advised step backward.

[Last modified July 22, 2007, 07:13:13]