Pasco must find a way to provide these rides

By A TIMES EDITORIAL
Published August 19, 2007

The local government cash crunch just extended from library patrons and youth sports leagues to the disabled, poor and home-bound elderly in Pasco County. Pasco County, already planning new fees and reduced services in its upcoming budget, just cut a program serving some of its most vulnerable residents. Pasco County Public Transportation whacked its paratransit program, cutting the number of daily trips available by nearly a third.

It is a decision that needs to be remedied by Pasco commissioners, who should boost the county's financial contribution or find other alternatives to restore the status quo.

Under the program, the disabled, low-income or elderly who live too far from a regularly scheduled bus route can call in advance for door-to-door service to doctors' offices, a job, school, social services or shopping.

Hardly an extravagance, state statistics from a year ago indicate more than half the county's population can qualify as potential customers, though significantly fewer actually use it. In 2006, 8,215 people used the service an average of 32 times each. The county also has a waiting list of people seeking to register for the program.

As documented by Times staff writer David DeCamp, the clients are people like Joseph Kuhn, a 59-year-old disabled veteran, and Kathleen Abrosia, 68, both of whom were cut off from the service this month and both of whom routinely use the paratransit program to arrange rides for doctor visits.

County Transportation Manager Mike Carroll blamed a spike in demand in the spring, particularly among clients in wheelchairs, for the current budget shortfall, the size of which won't be determined until Monday. The increased need for transporting wheelchair clients required the county to use outside vendors, which pushed up the cost.

Assistant County Administrator Dan Johnson said the public would have been better served if the county had reduced ridership moderately in the spring, instead of imposing such severe cuts late in the fiscal year. Carroll projected ridership will be allowed to grow to 225 to 250 daily trips from 185 after the new budget year begins. It's an improvement, but still lags the 270 rides provided each day earlier this year.

The service cuts come at a time commissioners are trying to trim $15.8-million to balance their proposed spending plan for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Department heads held the line on spending, while commissioners debated the wisdom of maintaining county contributions to United Way charities and learned the county would shelve a planned bus route to the blue-collar Moon Lake area.

That, too, is unfortunate. Pasco's population is demonstrating a growing reliance on mass transit, particularly for people traveling to and from work. The county bus system expanded this year to extend its weekday hours and added Saturday service. It drew close to 860,000 riders in 2006, a 56 percent increase over the previous two years.

But, not everybody who requires a ride can make it to a bus stop. Commissioners should ensure the transit needs of the poor, elderly and disabled aren't left behind.

[Last modified August 18, 2007, 21:07:24]