Merging a system that works well with one that doesn't so that there is more political support for the poor system is a terrible idea. The suburban bus systems work very well, by all accounts. Having the Met Council run those systems is the a good idea if you want to ruin them. I suspect that the suburban systems run better than the MTC because of their management, not because they have cream routes.WM: If only... it were just management. Actually, it's simplistic to think so. Twin City Lines did not have excellent management or it would not have bailed and morphed into MTC. It's impossible to measure smaller companies like Southwest and Jim Lorenz, with a much, much smaller purview against MCTO which carries the work horse load.
But even if they are cream routes, why should they be merged with the lesser routes? I prefer to isolate the routes that truly need subsidies to survive; so we really know what we're subsidizing.WM: If you want transit, you have to think more holistically. Cream routes have only 50% the ridership because they always run dead head one way. The question that gets at what needs to happen is: Where are the jobs, doctors, amenities, schools and where are the people? How best get the people to the places and return them 24/7/365.
Perhaps it's worth it to subsidize 2/3 of the cost of the bus system in order to have a civilized place to live.WM: Actually, the choices are many and varied. Some systems are paid for entirely by taxes and riders, through their taxes, pre-paid to ride. White Bear Lake taxes for bus service. White Bear Lake residents really used the bus system.
But at least we know that we're subsidizing the MTC buses only. If you included the suburban bus systems with the MTC, it would appear that we were subsidizing those routes also, even though they require little or no subsidy. Your suggestion is a recipe for even less transparency in government.WM: Actually, you are subsidizing the whole of transportation with roads, transit, police, etc. Splitting hairs (or hares) does not mitigate that. This whole situation is about who pays for what. We can kick the Twin Cities back to nineteen-ought-five but we will still have to suffer the consequences. Right now, we are suffering the consequences of Tim Pawlenty wanting a 2-month strike and his handmaiden Peter Bell trying to deliver the goods.
WM: Remember that Twin City Lines was a private company and it bailed. MTC was created to fill the gap. It cost the taxpayers bundles of money, both in dollars and in the cost of the criminal activity which accompanied Twin City Lines' demise.Mark Anderson: You are correct here. One more example of the inherent inefficiency of government programs. It sounds like the bus system would be a great candidate for privatization. In fact with the suburban bus systems already existent, we already have a competitive environment to launch such a program. Let any transit company who wants to bus anywhere in the Metro.
Cleveland's system used to be one of any bus company anywhere and it may still be. It creates confusion for all and sundry. Passengers have to be very alert to get where they are going, presuming they can get where they need to go.
There's no reason we couldn't subsidize the non-cream routes even with privately run systems. We could offer a bonus to companies running routes that have been determined to be important for the Metro but unprofitable without the bonus.WM: God save us from having the Met Council pick and choose which routes are important.
All the lines we have, private and public, cream or dregs, are important because people living and working need them. The suburban areas that opted out did so when there was the possibility of an independent company staying afloat and meeting their needs. Until then, they were very happy to let MTC subsidize their routes by however much it cost.
The most logical notion, to me, having pondered on it for a long time, is that one transit company should run all the modes of mass transit inside the 494-694 beltline with feeder lines outside the beltlines into park and rides at the beltline.
WizardMarks, Central ________________________________
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