As most of you probably read in the paper, Metro Transit is looking at a $60 million budget shortfall over the next 2 years, and is proposing service cuts and a fare increase. The fare increase would raise all fare s on buses and LRT Trains by $.25. This would be the second fare increase in the past 4 years, representing a 50% increase in the off-peak local route fare (will go up to $1.50).
Perhaps more significant are the proposed service cutbacks which will affect about � of all routes. In the Midway, Route 8 which goes from the University Avenue/Emerald area to the Franklin Avenue/Hiawathatha LRT station would be eliminated, as would route 76 which takes residents of some of the areas hi-rise, subsidized housing developments to the Midway Center and downtown St. Paul. Routes 67 (Minnehaha Avenue), 3 (Como Avenue), and 87 (Raymond/Prior/Cleveland, Rosedale to Highland Park) would see significant service reductions. The need for a stable, dedicated source of funding for transit has never been more clear. For the first time in many years there is some hope at the Capitol of finding such a source and also funding some of the needed new transitways for the region, and meanwhile we are cutting bus service and raising fares while gas prices soar. Metro Transit is holding a series of public hearings about the proposed changes, and the one is St. Paul is April 13, 11:00 a.m. in the Met Council Chambers at 230 E. 5th Street at Mears Park Centre. As critical as it is to send a clear message at these hearings that the service cuts and fare increase are unacceptable, it is probably even more critical to contact your state legislators and the Governor and demand that new funding sources for transit be identified quickly, so as to eliminate the need for these proposed cuts and actually begin to start improving the system. For more details go to metro transit�s website, www.metrotransit.org <http://www.metrotransit.org/> Russ Stark Executive Director Midway Transportation Management Organization (TMO) 1954 University Avenue, Suite 9 St. Paul, MN 55104 651-644-5108 ------------------------------------------------- JOIN the St. Paul Issues Forum TODAY: http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ ------------------------------------------------- POST MESSAGES HERE: [email protected] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
