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Hernando Today

THE Bus Is Not Dead Yet, Alive For Now

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: January 29, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - Hernando County's beleaguered mass transit system, seemingly on life support since the day it debuted due to low ridership numbers, appears to have been spared from death yet again.

This time, salvation has arrived in the form of two state agencies that have suggested a complete reorganization of THE Bus, including tweaking of routes and an immediate decrease in the local subsidy.

County Commissioner David Russell said the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA) have agreed to get involved in saving the system.

Russell said eliminating the service now is not an option because, as he was told by one state official, should the county drop its mass transit system, "it can kiss away any future state and federal funding goodbye."

Russell said it is clear transportation officials view mass transit, especially as it relates to a regional cross-county system, a top priority as Florida addresses its growth needs.

And future grant dollars and other revenue sources tied to roads are all dependent on making sure a mass transit bus system is alive and well, Russell said.

Ten years from now, when this county will be better able to support a mass transit system, those state and federal dollars will be needed for THE Bus and Russell said he doesn't want to see that funding go away.

Russell said he hasn't changed his mind that THE Bus is currently a financial drain.

But he believes this refocusing effort could result in better management and a better service.

To underscore that point, Citrus County commissioners this week - seeing the writing on the wall - approved a bus system that, at least for now, includes one fixed route that will connect Crystal River and Inverness.

Russell said an article published Wednesday in Hernando Today chronicling the possibility of parking THE Bus permanently, was a catalyst in moving forward with a plan to salvage mass transit here.

He said FDOT and TBARTA have already agreed to lend resources and manpower to Hernando County as it tries to redo THE Bus to make it more profitable and efficient.

County officials have been involved in much of the bus structuring since its inception in 2002. But, Russell acknowledged that, while county officials did the best job they could, it is FDOT and TBARTA that "live and breathe" mass transit and those agencies' help should greatly benefit Hernando County.

Russell said he met with state representatives and county staffers Wednesday and already several new ideas have been proposed, including one big one: reworking times and routes to better serve the public.

For example, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., THE Bus would serve as more of a commuter-type pickup system by providing fixed routes for people who use the bus to get to work. Then from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., the bus would concentrate on getting those workers back home.

During those hours, the pick-up times between buses would be somewhere between 20 to 30 minutes, instead of the usual hour.

During the rest of the day, THE Bus would switch its focus to servicing people with disabilities and the transportation-disadvantaged and get them to doctors' office and stores.

Other recommendations that will be referred to the county's two new standing committees for more discussion include:

•Getting the business community to participate in the process, either through "rolling advertisements" on the side of the bus or financially. The committees will also look into the possibility that businesses could receive tax credits by promoting transportation.

•Immediately reducing the county's local rider-per-trip subsidy by another 10 percent. Back in July, commissioners upped fares and reduced the subsidy to THE Bus by $200,000, or one-third.

•Consider creating new routes and connecting them with Citrus, Pasco and other counties to attract more riders. TBARTA Executive Director Robert Clifford told commissioners last month the community must start thinking regionally and create transportation alternatives for commuters, who are already spending 33 percent of their income annually on transportation-related costs.

•Identify "business centers" where it would make sense to have a bus route.

"We're ready to pledge our staff and resources in determining how to make THE Bus more efficient," said Don Skelton, FDOT District 7 Secretary.

Skelton said "it is essential that mass transit throughout the region be part of the transportation solution."

Skelton said he is aware less than 1 percent of residents use THE Bus. The whole purpose of his organization getting involved is to look at ways to drive up those numbers, possibly looking at adjusting the current fares, he said.

Parking THE Bus, though, is not a viable option.

"Looking into the future, stopping a system that you've started is not the most efficient thing you can do," Skelton said.

County Commissioner Jim Adkins, who on Tuesday proposed parking THE Bus for good, said he hasn't changed his mind. The demographics are just not here, he said.

And he doesn't see the state agencies' involvement as necessarily a good thing.

"I always believe the less government is the best government," he said.

Adkins said he has received 28-30 messages supporting him.

Still, Adkins said he has apparently "stirred the bucket" with his comments.

"I would not be upset if I saw the (bus) utilized," he said. "But when I see the drivers sitting up there all by themselves most of the time ...it's a slap in the face to the taxpayers."

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

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