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Hernando Today

Russell: Do Away With THE Bus

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: June 19, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - County Commissioner David Russell said the results from a mass transit ridership survey released last week clearly indicate the need to park the county's bus permanently.

There are just not enough riders to warrant keeping the fixed route transit system, he said.

"It's difficult for me to justify having the bus, based on the numbers of riders and the disbursement of the population," Russell said.

Russell said he realizes that getting rid of the bus would anger some people. But, in these times of fiscal belt tightening, Russell said the board has to think about the big picture.

"It's not going to be popular with a lot of folks," Russell admitted. "But certainly times dictate we scrutinize these things for what they are and, frankly, the bus is serving less than 1 percent of the population of this county. And that's a fact."

At the very least, Russell said it might be necessary to cut bus service from five days to four. But only if it allows the county to break even on costs.

"I've never been a fan of the fixed route system," he said. "I always thought it was premature."

Russell said it might make more sense to continue operating only the para-transit service for the transportation disadvantaged.

Russell said he based his decision on another recent survey - one that taxpayers filled out during a series of community budget workshops. In that survey, 174 residents identified law enforcement as the most important service.

County Commissioner Rose Rocco is not so quick to pull the plug on THE Bus, especially after a recent Tampa Bay Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA) meeting stressed the need for a connected mass transit system linking Hernando County with Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

"We have an investment in it and it is a costly venture," Rocco said. "But if we decide to toss it now, we won't get it back."

That doesn't mean the county cannot make improvements, she said.

For example, to gain more revenue, Rocco has asked staffers to look into allowing businesses to advertise on the outside of the buses - sort of a "rolling billboard," she said.

To capture even more of the work commuter sector, maybe's it's time to tweak the routes and schedule more stops at local employment centers, Rocco said.

The comments come days after the release of a much-anticipated ridership study done by Tindale-Oliver and Associates, the Metropolitan Planning Organization's general planning consultant.

The consultant did the study for $19,974. All but $1,600 of the money came from federal transit planning funds.

Of the 790 surveys handed out to riders of THE Bus, 447 were completed, according to the survey.

Survey-takers traveled on four bus routes April 24 and counted 625 riders. One route had only 82 people during the course of 11 runs all day.

The survey showed more people use Hernando County's mass transit system to commute to work than previously believed.

County Commission Chairman Chris Kingsley said he wasn't surprised, especially as the price of gas soars and more people are seeking alternate modes of transportation.

County Commissioner Diane Rowden has been one of the staunchest supporters of THE Bus since it debuted in 2002.

Her commitment to the system hasn't waned, even though the service has not turned a profit in six years.

"Public transportation is not designed to be a money-maker," Rowden said.
Transit service rarely makes money for any community in the country, she said.

"We're not looking at answering to the stockholders of a big corporation who are looking at their profit margin," Rowden said. "Our stockholders are our constituents (and) they need the service."

Rowden said she would like to see alternate routes explored, possibly one leading to the airport complex where more workers could avail themselves of the service.

It is government's job to promote alternative transportation sources, especially with the cost of fuel, she said.

"If we don't provide it, then we fail," Rowden added.

County commissioners are scheduled to discuss the ridership survey at their June 24 meeting.

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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