Is this tragic misplanning on the part of Metro Transit, or is Metro Transit trying to negotiate between a complicated set of conflicting realities? I definitely think it is the latter, not the former.
As I have said before, I ride the bus to and from work, commuting between Lake and Lyndale and Saint Paul. I also ride the bus whenever I can to get around, be it to Jitters in Saint Anthony Main, the MOA, or to see a Twins game, which I did last night. I have never felt unsafe while riding a bus, and although I have seen some "characters" from time to time, I just accept them as part of the urban jungle. I should note that these "characters" have no racial or economic characteristics in common; I have seen it all, from the most unexpected places. While I feel comfortable riding the bus whenever, I do know that there are a lot of people who will refuse to ride the bus at all, presumably for safety reasons. I think that this is just another symptom of the irrational fear that so many people have these days, but for whatever reason, it does exist. That is why the Hiawatha line is so successful where a dedicated busway would not be. Time after time, surveys show all across the country that people would much rather ride light rail (or heavy rail) instead of buses, all other things being equal. And let's be honest: the Hiawatha line is really cool to ride. It's fun, it's interesting, it makes people feel they are in a big city. This is one reality that Metro Transit has to deal with. On the other hand, there are a lot of people in the legislature, House Republicans in particular, who are either opposed to transit in principle or want to skimp as much as possible. These people, who control the purse strings, are much more likely to fund busways than rail if they fund anything at all, citing the higher cost of rail (just look at the Northstar Corridor). They do this despite the fact that the very people who are electing these legislators are saying that they would never ride buses. It sounds like a recipe for failure to me. As long as transit, and particularly bus transit, is seen as serving only the non-voting poor, Metro Transit is going to have to deal with the fact that those people who refuse to ride buses also refuse to pay for rail. This is hardly a new phenomenon; cities across the country have dealt with this very same issue. It's definitely not helping that transit funding continues to be cut year after year by the legislature, mainly because it is seen as just a program for the poor. It's this perception that needs to be changed, not the lack of parking spots for LRT riders. The notion that buses are only for the dregs of society, and that they are unsafe for anybody else, needs to be thrown out the window. Metro Transit needs to do its share by having more of a visible police presence on the buses (I have never seen a transit cop just riding a bus, but ever since the Hiawatha Line opened I have seen at least two transit cops at stations or riding almost all the time). They could teach their bus drivers a little customer service, which is lacking all too often. They can expand service instead of cutting it. Of course, all of this takes more money. Considering that Metro Transit no longer relies on property taxes for operating funds, the only way to get more money is to raise fares (entirely counterproductive) or get money from the legislature, and that hasn't happened lately. I think the only way this will ever change is if bus riders themselves lobby for more funding, proving to legislators that voters do ride the bus and that voting for transit is an election winner. As long as bus transit is seen by both legislators and the public as just welfare taxis, though, our transit system will not improve. That is a real shame. === Nathan Hunstad CARAG Minneapolis, MN PGP DH/DSS public key -- http://www.angelfire.com/mn/freakpower/nhpubkey.txt ________________________________________________ Do you Gonzo?! http://www.angelfire.com/mn/freakpower REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
