Buses to whiz by traffic

BY MARGARET A. MCGURK | July 18, 2007

 

One after another, northbound drivers on Interstate 71 Tuesday turned their heads to gape at a Metro bus barreling along the left shoulder.  What they saw was a demonstration of something that will become a common sight starting Monday. That's when buses on Metro express routes 71X and 72 from downtown to Kings Island will be free to use the shoulder whenever traffic flow drops below 30 mph.

 

Metro chief Mike Setzer called the shoulder routes a "virtually no-cost" way to improve service - specifically to speed up bus rides enough so that more commuters will abandon rush-hour driving.  Almost 12 miles of left shoulder will be available from Kenwood Road to Western Row Road.  Between 200 and 300 cars now use the Kings Island park-and-ride regularly, Metro spokeswoman Sallie Hilvers said. The two Kings Island Metro routes clock about 900 rides every day, she said.

 

Except for Metro buses on the designated stretch, it is illegal to drive on expressway shoulders. Violators can be fined $80 to about $150, depending on the jurisdiction where the violation occurs, Lt. Tony Bradshaw of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.  Getting cars off the roads is a matter of growing urgency as the region battles ozone problems. Likewise, major highway projects due to begin in the next few years promise massive traffic woes.

 

Read full article here:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070718/NEWS01/707180394/1077/COL02

 

Great News!!! 2,000 riders a day... not bad numbers!

 

 

New UC/Metro Partnership a Sizzling Summer Success

More than 100,000 bus rides have been provided to the UC community since the new partnership got rolling in the spring.

 

Date: 7/11/2007

By: Dawn Fuller

Phone: (513) 556-1823

Photos By: Metro

 

New figures show the UC community is taking the bus and easing the traffic crunch in the Uptown – a result of a partnership launched in the spring. Metro reports that the UC/Metro partnership that provides free rides for the UC community has resulted in more than 100,000 rides for UC faculty, staff and students since the service first got underway on April 30. During the weekdays, nearly 2,000 UC riders per day are riding the bus, according to Metro.

 

The two-year partnership is funded by UC Student Government and the university administration and provides free rides on any Metro bus, at anytime, on any Metro route for UC students, faculty and staff who produce their photo ID at the bus stop. The partnership aims to ease traffic congestion in Uptown as well as help riders save on gas and parking.

 

During the hot summer months that can trigger heat and pollution alerts, the partnership is also allowing UC riders to become friendlier to the environment. Metro busses in the Uptown run on biodiesel made from Ohio soybeans which burns cleaner than conventional diesel fuel. Metro adds that each person who opts to ride the bus instead of driving the car to work conserves more than 200 gallons of gas per year, so as gas prices soar to more than three dollars a gallon, that’s a savings of over $600.

 

UC Student Body President James Radley says Student Government is spreading the word about the service to incoming freshmen at Bearcat Bound Orientation. “We’re adding posters, fliers and other promotions about the partnership to our Student Spotlight display at Orientation, and we also met with the 30 Student Orientation Leaders (SOLs) so that they can help us promote the program to our new students,” Radley says.

 

Special Metro services to Riverfest, Oktoberfest and Bengals games are not included in the partnership. For information on Metro routes and bus schedules, call Metro at 513-621-4455, weekdays from 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; or check www.go-metro.com

 

Metro routes serving UC’s Uptown campus and the Uptown:

 

Route 17 Seven Hills, Mt. Healthy, Northgate, Mt. Airy, North College Hill, College Hill, Northside

Route 18 Northgate, White Oak, Monfort Heights, Mt. Airy

Route 19 Colerain Ave. corridor from Northgate

Route 24 Anderson Township, Mt. Washington, Mt. Lookout, Hyde Park

Route 31 Evanston, Walnut Hills, West End, Lower Price Hill

Route 39 Western Hills Plaza, Cheviot, Westwood

Route 51 Oakley, Hyde Park, Norwood, Evanston, Avondale

Route 75X Amelia, Cherry Grove, Anderson Township

Route 78 Tri-County, Springdale, Lincoln Heights, Woodlawn, Lockland, Wyoming, Hartwell, Elmwood Place, Bond Hill, St. Bernard

 

http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.asp?id=6071

There really wasn't much hype to this program when it started...and the summer months are always off-season for college campuses.  So I can only imagine large growth when you factor in the increased awareness and number of students around when the Fall Quarter starts up.

^I agree, the program started may 1st, so that is really only about one month of spring quarter and then summer quarter.  Once it gets to be around december I think it will be even larger ridership.

Information from www.go-metro.com

 

Go*faster

Now, riding Metro saves time as well as money, stress and the environment.

 

Starting Monday, July 23, 2007, Metro buses on Rt. 71x and Rt. 72 may begin using the left shoulder lanes on I-71 North and South under the following conditions:

 

    * Traffic must be congested and moving at 30 mph or less.

    * Buses may only use the left shoulder lanes in the 11.7-mile stretch between Kenwood Road and Western Row Road north and southbound.

    * Buses may not travel faster than a maximum of 35 mph when using the shoulder lanes.

    * Only Metro buses (and emergency vehicles) will be allowed to use the shoulder lanes.

 

 

 

These signs will help identify the project area:

       

 

Click here for Rt. 71x/Rt. 72 schedule

Click here for Rt. 71x/ Rt. 72 fare information

Who makes the decision that it is ok to use the shoulder ?

That is - who decides all the criteria are met ?

Does the driver just assess the situation or does a dispatcher follow traffic reports and send out an authorization ?

Not exactly a perfect fit, for this thread, but I couldn't find anywhere else to put it. Definitely not worthy of its own thread.

 

Southbank Shuttle carried half-million-plus in 2006-07

August 28, 2007 | CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER

 

TANK's Southbank Shuttle service between Covington, Newport, Bellevue and Cincinnati carried more than 572,000 riders in its 2006-07 fiscal year, the bus service said Tuesday.

 

The shuttle stops at hotels and entertainment venues along the riverfront and downtown in the four cities, and also connects with the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. "It gives us a decided edge when we compete against other cities to attract conventions," said Tom Caradonio, president of the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau.

 

More than 8,000 passengers rode the shuttle during the recent Music Fusion weekend in Cincinnati, and more than 3,500, on average, ride during a typical weekend, TANK said in a news release.

 

Read More...

SORTA Less

Without fare hike, cuts already underway

BY KEVIN OSBORNE | September 12, 2007

 

With Cincinnati City Council recently rejecting the Metro bus system's request for a fare increase, the mass transit agency that oversees the system is undergoing several changes behind the scenes that ultimately could affect service provided to the thousands of riders who use Metro every day.

 

The most immediate change will be the elimination of Metro's free park-and-ride service to Oktoberfest later this month. The service, which cost the agency about $11,000, was provided to the downtown festival from sites in Anderson Township, Blue Ash and Forest Park.

 

Also, Metro is reducing hours of operation at its downtown sales office and call centers, as well as delaying the replacement of some aging buses. Agency officials say service on some bus routes might eventually be reduced or cut altogether as early as next year, although no decision has yet been made.

 

Read full article here:

http://citybeat.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A141446

A sad story. I really worry about the end-game here.

The most immediate change will be the elimination of Metro's free park-and-ride service to Oktoberfest later this month. The service, which cost the agency about $11,000, was provided to the downtown festival from sites in Anderson Township, Blue Ash and Forest Park.

 

I'm surprised that they can't get any corporation to step up and fund the $11,000 needed for the service.  Call it the Kroger Oktoberfest Shuttle...I don't care, but I would think that there are other options available here.

"...as well as delaying the replacement of some aging buses..."

 

That's because Lexington, KY has a few of yours :) We took a few (I think older models) to replace a few in our fleet temporarily. Ours were aging badly, and hadn't been properly maintained prior to 2004 (LexTran was on the verge of collapsing, to put it mildly).

City, county may revamp bus system

BY JESSICA BROWN | September 17, 2007

 

Sweeping changes are being proposed to the Greater Cincinnati public bus system.  They might include shuttles to take people between Cincinnati arts attractions or businesses, bus routes anywhere in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky or Southeast Indiana or even a high-speed train from Cincinnati to Dayton.

 

A blueprint for a reorganized Southwest Ohio Regional Transportation Authority, which runs Greater Cincinnati's public transportation system, is expected to be announced at today's Hamilton County Commission meeting at 9:30 a.m.  "It is very comprehensive and forward-thinking and super-regional," said Commission President Todd Portune about the ideas. "It's the first serious effort in making transit issues a priority for this region that has occurred in a very long time."

 

Portune has been working with Cincinnati City Council members David Crowley, Chris Bortz, Jeff Berding and John Cranley, as well as SORTA Board Chairman Lamont Taylor, to restructure the 39-year-old organization, which operates the Metro bus service. The organization has for years grappled with flat funding sources and other issues, including a desire by some for the system to be more regional and diverse.

 

Read full article here:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070917/NEWS01/709170347/1056/COL02

^ Maybe it's just me, but if I were running a bus service whose two major problems are being under-financed and unpopular in the eyes of the public, I think I'd increase this type of service rather than decrease it.  Let me preface my next statement by admitting that I have no idea if Metro is allowed to do this.  Why not increase the number of park and rides for special events and the number of buses servicing them, and increase the price of the fares for those events?  That way, Metro makes money on these festivals to help offset what they wanted to get out of a general fare increase.  Most of the people I know in the suburbs never take the bus, except when they are going to Oktoberfest or the Bengals game or something similar and don't want to deal with parking, traffic, or risking a DUI.  Adding a dollar or so to this kind of trip wouldn't seem so bad, because it is only a few times a year and they are using the bus to avoid other hassles, not necessarily because it is a bargain.

Seems logical...too logical.  :-D

Mason won't subsidize bus service

BY MARGARET A. MCGURK | [email protected]

 

Suburbanites who work downtown, city dwellers working in Warren County and teens working at Kings Island could lose their only regular bus service next year.  Mason has decided not to contribute $33,000 for two regular bus lines and extra summer service provided by Metro.

 

City Council’s economic development committee last month voted 3-0 to drop out of the program, which is co-funded by Warren County, Deerfield Township and Hamilton County. Kings Island and the city of Cincinnati contribute to the summer jobs service, which Metro says cannot continue if the regular routes are cut.

 

Mason Councilman Todd Wurzbacher said the committee could not justify subsidizing a service that benefits a small number of residents. “It’s like me asking for gas money to drive downtown,” he said.  Metro said the 71X express – which largely serves suburban commuters – provided 120,112 rides last year. At Warren County’s urging, the fare was raised to $3.25 this year; a monthly pass is $125.

 

Read full article here:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070918/NEWS01/309180051/

This is disgusting news...please note that Mason officials also went back on their word to allow 129 to cut through from I-75 to I-71.  The agreement was made in good faith, and then Mason backed out...I see a trend here.

Wow so Monte have very little options if he worked downtown and has no car or in the repair shop.

Wow so Monte have very little options if he worked downtown and has no car or in the repair shop.

 

Both he and CincyDad...  :laugh:

I didn't realize $33,000 was so significant to Mason's budget. Must not be as booming as it puts on.

Absolutely terrible.  I just love when suburbs start to think that THEY are the city, and that everything should revolve around them.  I hate seeing this sort of thing happen to mass transit, but I also have a hard time feeling bad for people that live that far out from downtown.  Maybe this will help shine a light on how pathetic our transit situation is, or at the very least encourage people not to live way out in Mason.

^It always seemed to me that this route existed primarily to bus workers INTO Mason.  I work in a suburban office complex in Mason and the bus ridership was made up of a few business people and a lot of low income folks who work at Kings Island.  In fact, I am not sure that the shuttles went from Mason to downtown early in the morning.

 

Why would MASON, OHIO care about transportation needs of poor people, especially when Kings Island no longer demands it in non-summer months?

**whispers**especially when the bus is fill with blacks and Mexicans.  Those criminals might decide to relocate to and terrorize the precious suburban paradise **/whispers**

^  Uhm,        Wow!       

I know that KI has a particularly difficult time staffing the park...especially once college students head back to class.  The park desperately relies on these inner-city youths that also in turn NEED the jobs.  These types of service jobs just aren't readily available in the city...and likewise...the workforce needed for KI isn't readily available in the outer 'burbs.

 

Hell...KI puts up foreign people at UC's dorms during the summer months to help staff the park.  KI really needs all the workforce it can get.  People who live out in Mason obviously use the express routes...hence the 6 digit ridership numbers.

^Exactly.  The bus route will surface again next year when Kings Island needs workers.

 

Mason has no real interest in participating in Cincinnati's mass transit system.  I do not think that they see themselves as having a symbiotic relationship with Cincinnati.  In fact, I believe that they are betting against Cincy.  If you look at what Mason has done, they are trying to be an 'alternative' to urban (city) living.  They are trying to expand population density while building a mass of commercial and retail space.  I don't see any of these developments even trying to work with Cincinnati proper, rather they are relying on suburbs (like west chester) and future sprawl to forecast growth.  They are hoping that all Urban Cincy projects fail.  They are directly competing (and winning) against OTR gentrification.

 

It is sickening, I know, but Mason thinks that they might be able to scavenge while the city flounders.  They want the businesses that will not locate in Cincinnati proper because 'the numbers' might not be right.  They want to be like NKY, but without all of the crime.

 

I apologize if my previous post may have sounded crass, but I am upset with Mason.  The 'holier than thou' attitude is pretty ridiculous if you consider the context.  They have as much to gain as Cincinnati (maybe even more) with a comprehensive transit solution, but they are failing to see the big picture.

 

No suburb stays 'perfect and white' forever (pardon the sarcasm) and they should realize that.

the mayor of mason was "boo"ed at the ATP when they claimed "you aren't in cincinnati you are in mason"

I am proud to say I have never spend $$ in mason outside of Kings Island, Actually warren or butler county for that matter, well except for the time I stopped in monroe.

the mayor of mason was "boo"ed at the ATP when they claimed "you aren't in cincinnati you are in mason"

 

He really said that!?

I wasn't there but I heard it from a reliable source.

the mayor of mason was "boo"ed at the ATP when they claimed "you aren't in cincinnati you are in mason"

 

Wow.  If that's true, it's absolutely awful.  As if anyone from the area didn't know that already and anyone from out of town cared about Mason or would even be there without the tennis tourney.  That's like pointing out to someone waiting for a connecting flight at CVG that they're actually in KY.  Who cares?

 

 

I don't see any of these developments even trying to work with Cincinnati proper, rather they are relying on suburbs (like west chester) and future sprawl to forecast growth.  They are hoping that all Urban Cincy projects fail.   They are directly competing (and winning) against OTR gentrification.

 

It is sickening, I know, but Mason thinks that they might be able to scavenge while the city flounders.  They want the businesses that will not locate in Cincinnati proper because 'the numbers' might not be right.  They want to be like NKY, but without all of the crime.

 

 

Two things.  1) I think you're absolutely right that communities like Mason and West Chester think that sprawl is actually a good thing and are encouraging it, which is just sad.  2) They'll never be like NKY, because they're 30 minutes away.  NKY is lucky enough to be directly next to the downtown of a major American city.  Whether or not they capitalize on that fully and in a way that is good for the urban core as a whole, is another story.

 

Unfortunately Mason represents all that is soulless and godless about American society. The worst part isn't that the mayor said it but that he is actually representing his constituents pretty effectively. I think we ought to add a special Mason tax for the Reds, Bengals, and the Symphony. Simple question, 'You from Mason?' yep . . . that will be 50 bucks extra for the road you used to get here and the security we are providing for your arse.

^  They are directly competing (and winning) against OTR gentrification.

 

 

 

This internal competition within the region is killing us!  Why can't we celebrate successes on both ends - some people want to live in Mason and some people want to live in OTR - let's set up an environment that can make both successful.  The problem imho is that The City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County keep giving away the store to the surrounding counties to promote cooperation and the surrounding counties promptly take the freebies and then slam the city and the county.  The suburbs are laughing all the way to the bank.  They poach our businesses and upper income folks and then don't want to cooperate on anything like affordable housing or transit.  To really rub it in they use our tax dollars to build the new roads to take even more of our assets from us.  They must really be laughing on Sundays  when they come down to our stadium for free.

 

sorry for the diatribe but its Friday evening and I need a beer.

The 17 bus didn't make it up the Clifton ave. hill today!!! Damnit. I had to walk all the way up. Bring back the inclines, I say.

theres actually a simple solution to this whole thing. we do nothing about traffic in our city which is the central hub if they don't want to take the 4 hour outerbelt around hehehehehe then we build rail and street car transit etc IN the central city connected to parking garages that charge an arm and a leg. so if the people in mason want to do anything besides ride their rollercoasters they have to drive hours around the city or pay the price for money we will use to build more competitive office space etc than they can ever dream of thus keeping us perpetually ahead of their game. so basically we ait it out....use our geography people. I've never like those kinds of suburbanite attitudes anyway so they're right they aren't cincinnatians. at least I wouldn't claim them. I mean come on...eww

The suburbs are laughing all the way to the bank.  They poach our businesses and upper income folks and then don't want to cooperate on anything like affordable housing or transit.  To really rub it in they use our tax dollars to build the new roads to take even more of our assets from us.  They must really be laughing on Sundays  when they come down to our stadium for free.

 

You're right cincijohns, we do need to work together more.  But as this has been the case for a long time and doesn't seem to be changing any time soon, Cincinnati has to forget about the suburbs for now and focus on transit within the city itself, like they are doing with the streetcar plan.  The 'burbs will never get on board for planning that takes development away from the outer edges of the metro area, so trying to negotiate with them is just wasted time.  God willing, we'll be talking about expanding our streetcar system at some point after 2010, and these outer areas will change their tune after seeing first hand the kinds of financial investment and revitalization that rail can bring. (Yeah, I know this thread is about buses, but I view rail and buses as integral parts of the same mass transit system, even though the actual vehicles are clearly different)

metro should only allow outgoing traffic to the burbs lol. "sorry we don't want snobs in our city" whenever sombody tries to get on lol. thats would kick #$%

The 17 bus didn't make it up the Clifton ave. hill today!!! Damnit. I had to walk all the way up. Bring back the inclines, I say.

 

The bus didn't come at all, or you got on and then the bus literally couldn't climb the hill? With all the construction going up W. Clifton Ave, riding the 17 lately has been scary.

The 17 bus didn't make it up the Clifton ave. hill today!!! Damnit. I had to walk all the way up. Bring back the inclines, I say.

 

The bus didn't come at all, or you got on and then the bus literally couldn't climb the hill? With all the construction going up W. Clifton Ave, riding the 17 lately has been scary.

 

No, the bus literally couldn't make it up the hill. Some people waited for help; I walked. :)

Turning Back the Bus

Global warming or not, burbs balk at bus service

BY KEVIN OSBORNE | October 17, 2007

 

Even as Cincinnati and Hamilton County officials discuss expanding the area's public bus system to make it truly regional, at least two suburbs are asking to have their Metro bus service scaled back or eliminated altogether.  Colerain Township Trustees are trying to stop part of the Route 41 Cross Town bus service that runs from Oakley through several inner-city neighborhoods before ending near the Northgate Mall. Trustees say the service is causing safety and litter problems in the township, as well as loitering at the mall.

 

Meanwhile, Mason City Council last month informed Metro that it would no longer pay its share for two bus routes, one to the Kings Island amusement park and another that provides express service from Warren County to downtown Cincinnati during morning and evening rush hours.  Mass transit advocates believe the actions are based on a misconception that public transportation increases crime and is a coded form of racial prejudice, similar to the one that fueled white flight from urban centers to the suburbs in the 1950s and '60s.

 

Colerain Township's and Mason's actions come at the same time as economic development experts say Greater Cincinnati needs more mass transit options -- not fewer -- to attract jobs and companies and to become competitive with more prosperous cities nationwide.

 

Such scaling back also is at odds with a recent push by County Commissioner Todd Portune and Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley to have outlying suburbs in Butler, Clermont and Warren counties form funding partnerships -- joint economic development districts -- that would pay for new routes throughout their communities.

 

Read full article here:

http://citybeat.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A142368

Why doesn't Northgate mall just say they're trying to keep the thugs out? What teenager doesn't go to a mall to loiter?

Don't let the 'city' people in. Lets hope that oil get high enough that the urban areas will be able to do the reverse. Don't let the 'suburban' people in.

Mason OKs subsidy for buses

BY ELAINE TRUMPEY | October 23, 2007

 

Mason will pay its part of a 2007 subsidy for a commuter bus service already provided this year to riders on Metro routes between Mason and downtown Cincinnati.  Council members approved a $34,000 payment after hearing a presentation by Metro officials at Monday’soct22 meeting.  The money will keep buses running and commuter fares at $3.25 each way at least through the end of 2007.

 

Council’s economic development committee balked at paying the disputed amount when presented with the 2007 contract in August, but decided to allow the full council to make the final decision.  Metro CFO Ted Bergh made the regional transit authority’s case by touting public transportation’s benefits. He noted that a full bus saves 87.5 gallons of fuel a day and relieves traffic congestion.

 

Read full article here:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071023/NEWS01/310230020/1056/COL02

there is hope

UC*Metro program beneficial in several aspects

Buses cut down on emissions, cheaper for students than other transportation

BY HARRISON KREIMER | November 19, 2007

 

UC students, staff and faculty can get free rides anywhere in Cincinnati on Metro thanks to the UC*Metro Program. The UC*Metro Program is a joint effort between Cincinnati Metro and UC that allows for easy transportation around the city. All students have to do is show the Metro driver a valid UC ID to get a free ride anywhere, anytime, on any Metro route.

 

"It's a huge win for the students," said James W. Radley, president of the University of Cincinnati Student Government. "It's a win for public safety, the environment and parking." The UC*Metro program has helped many students already. "By May 8 of '08 we will break a million rides," said Radley.

 

Parking continues to be a problem on campus, with prices reaching the triple digits for quarterly parking in some lots. "We have enough parking for those willing to pay the rates we charge," said Eugene R. Ferrara, the associate vice president of the Department of Public Safety. But what about the students who are unwilling to pay the rates? And what about skyrocketing gas prices? What about automotive emissions poisoning the atmosphere every day? UC*Metro holds the answer.

 

Read full article here:

www.newsrecord.org/media/storage/paper693/news/2007/11/19/Opinion/Ucmetro.Program.Beneficial.In.Several.Aspects-3108518.shtml]http://media.

Metro takes another shot at fare hike

Business Courier of Cincinnati - November 21, 2007

 

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) is hoping Cincinnati City Council will be more receptive to a fare hike, after getting the cold shoulder in June.  SORTA, which operates the Metro bus system, wants to raise base fares by 50 cents - to $1.50 within city limits, and $2 elsewhere in Hamilton County. The Access program, which provides transportation for disabled persons, also would raise fares by 50 cents, to $2 in the city and $2.50 elsewhere.

 

The increase, if approved, would be effective Feb. 3, 2008. The current base fare is $1 in the city and $1.50 elsewhere in Hamilton County. Fares for service in Butler, Clermont and Warren counties are set via contracts with those areas and aren't included in the request, SORTA said.

 

Read full article here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/11/19/daily25.html

Metro's fleet needs work

One 1989 bus has racked up 489,000 miles

BY MARGARET A. MCGURK | January 2, 2008

 

It's retirement time for more than 50 Metro buses, say officials at the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority.  The need for a newer, less repair-prone fleet is the key reason Metro officials cite when pressing their case for a 50-cent fare increase.

 

A dozen of Metro's 388 full-size buses date to 1989 and 1990. Federal funding guidelines set 12 years as the lifespan of an urban transit bus. With more than a quarter of its buses now 11 years or older, the average age of the fleet has risen to nine years.  Ten years ago, the fleet average was 5.5 years.

 

The oldest, one of the 1989 models, has 489,000 miles on its odometer. "It's still in service," said Don DeVore, manager of maintenance support services for Metro. "It just needs to be repaired more often than the newer buses."  "We should have probably somewhere between 12,000 and 15,000 miles before we need what we call a road call" - a mechanical problem outside normal service needs, said Metro's Chief Operating Officer Marilyn Shazor. "Right now I believe our fleet is averaging between eight and nine thousand. That is just telling you they are needing to repair them more often than we should.

 

Read full article here:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080102/NEWS01/801020321/1077/COL02

^What a shock...Cranley fighting something to support transit.

 

</sarcasm>

^What a shock...Cranley fighting something to support transit.

 

</sarcasm>

 

This meme is starting to build across the board.

Thank goodness!!!

 

Council majority favors bus fare hike

BY MARGARET A. MCGURK | January 14, 2008

 

At least five of nine members of Cincinnati City Council appear ready to let Metro increase bus fares by 50 cents.  Council rejected a 25-cent fare hike in June. A new request from the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority would increase the basic fare up from $1 a ride to $1.50.

 

Council’s Finance Committee held a hearing this afternoon on the proposal, where committee chairman John Cranley sparred with Metro officials over the hike.  [glow=yellow,2,300]Cranley questioned whether the bus company had cut its spending enough. “If Metro’s budget were in our hands (the city’s), I’m confident we could have found savings” in vacant positions and lower administrative costs, he said.[/glow]

 

[glow=yellow,2,300]Cranley has been a harsh critic of the transit system[/glow], in part because Hamilton County contributes nothing to the Metro budget yet controls five of nine seats on the transit board. Metro is funded largely by earnings taxes paid by anyone who lives or works in Cincinnati.  It now appears council members Chris Bortz, David Crowley, Jeff Berding, Roxanne Qualls and Cecil Thomas will vote for a fare hike.

 

Read full article here:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080114/NEWS01/301140029

UC*Metro Rolls into a Successful New Year

More than 500,000 free Metro rides by the UC community show the success of a program that exemplifies UC|21 goals of forming key relationships with community partners

BY DAWN FULLER | January 11, 2008

 

The UC*Metro program rang in the new year with a significant success. Metro reports that from the time the program got rolling in the spring to the first week of January, the partnership logged more than 500,000 free bus rides for UC faculty, staff and students.

 

The two-year partnership, which began on April 30, 2007, is equally funded by UC Student Government and the university administration, and aims to ease the traffic congestion in the growing Uptown. UC*Metro provides free rides on any Metro bus, at anytime, on any Metro route for UC students, faculty and staff who produce their photo ID at the bus stop.

 

Read full article here:

http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.asp?id=7677

Maybe I'm just too cynical, but what changed?  Less than six months ago, city council (sans Qualls) rejected a 25 cent fare hike.  Now, essentially the exact same group of people are in favor of a 50 cent fare increase?  I agree that the fare needs to be increased, but I don't quite understand why it wasn't just raised by 25 cents last year.  Consequently, the users of the system are now getting hit with a fare increase that is twice as high.  I'm a huge fan of mass transit and I think that this city council has done a great job promoting it, as well as encouraging new development and urban renewal.  I'd really like to believe that they didn't vote this down last time to increase their chances of getting re-elected, knowing they'd have to "make up the difference" later by increasing the fare by 50 cents instead of 25, but I'm having a hard time coming up with any other explanation.  Anyone have any thoughts on that?  I'd love to be wrong about this...