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Hernando Today

Spring Hill Man Seeks Saturday Bus Route

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: January 9, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - True to his word, Donald Brush of Spring Hill showed up at Tuesday's commission meeting with a petition asking board members to expand THE Bus service to Saturdays.

Brush, along with his sister, spent the last several weeks gathering support for his cause and said he amassed 600 signatures.

The most efficient way to go is to offer one route that would run between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturdays, Brush said.

He didn't say where that route should be.

Brush said it would benefit people who depend on public transportation to get to doctors' offices and stores on Saturday, thus boosting the economy.

The time, he said, is right to expand service.

"We need a public transportation system that adequately reflects the population growth of the county," Brush said.
County commissioners have struggled keeping the existing bus routes going during this economic downturn.

However, County Commission Chairman David Russell offered Brush some hope that his Saturday plan would at least get an airing by county staffers who are now examining ways to make THE Bus more efficient.

"We're going to be fine-tuning our bus operations over the next several months," Russell said.

Russell thanked Brush for his efforts and said he would keep his petition and "see what we can come up with."

County Commissioner James Adkins echoed Russell's concerns over making Hernando County's beleaguered public transit system a success.

"We have no choice," Adkins said. "We have to succeed."

Commissioners for years have been trying to come up with ways to increase bus ridership.

County staffers are still looking into drumming up support for business advertising on the sides of the buses, a move designed to net more money.

Last year, there had been concerns THE Bus was going to be permanently grounded because the cost didn't justify serving less than 1 percent of the populace.

But in July, commissioners upped fares and reduced the subsidy to THE Bus by $200,000, or one-third.

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

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