However......  Light-rail trains can be designed to serve high- and low-level platforms. Pittsburgh's is one example of this. Our light-rail cars can only serve low-level platforms. If they were able to serve both, we wouldn't need two different types of trains. Thus, trains from one of the Shaker Lines could be routed west of Tower City to the Airport. But RTA still acts as if CTS (City of Cleveland) is still running the Red Line and the City of Shaker Heights Transportation Department is still running the Blue and Green lines.

However...... Light-rail trains can be designed to serve high- and low-level platforms. Pittsburgh's is one example of this. Our light-rail cars can only serve low-level platforms. If they were able to serve both, we wouldn't need two different types of trains. Thus, trains from one of the Shaker Lines could be routed west of Tower City to the Airport. But RTA still acts as if CTS (City of Cleveland) is still running the Red Line and the City of Shaker Heights Transportation Department is still running the Blue and Green lines.

 

Isn't RTA up for some new trains sometime soon?  Or am I just totally imagining that?

^Probably not new light rail trains anytime soon- they've been reconditioning their fleet to extend its life for another decade or two.

 

Having a single car type as KJP describes makes so, so much sense, for routing flexibility, station design, maintenance costs...

I've noticed that the articulated buses aren't being used on the 22 & 26 on the weekends anymore.  I can see not using them at night but I was on a eastbound 26 yesterday evening and around 80th and Detroit I saw a westbound bus with 2 standees...it was around 6:30pm.  I hope RTA will bring back the artics at least for daytime Saturday and early evenings. 

Having just two standees is probably not enough to make them run the artics on weekends fulltime, i would guess.

 

FYI...

RTA is currently training their drivers on the little busses formerly used as Community Circulators.  You will see those busses on many routes on Saturdays and Sundays in the near future.

However......  Light-rail trains can be designed to serve high- and low-level platforms. Pittsburgh's is one example of this. Our light-rail cars can only serve low-level platforms. If they were able to serve both, we wouldn't need two different types of trains. Thus, trains from one of the Shaker Lines could be routed west of Tower City to the Airport. But RTA still acts as if CTS (City of Cleveland) is still running the Red Line and the City of Shaker Heights Transportation Department is still running the Blue and Green lines.

 

I wish that was the case.  We'd still have express trains on the shaker rapid.

If RTA did standardize its fleet with high-low platform cars, it would have to extend POP to the entire system.  It's confusing enough with the different payment systems on the different types of cars we have now.

^So wouldn't the one payment system make in more simple?

^So wouldn't the one payment system make in more simple?

 

Absolutely.  I was the one who suggested to Jerry Masek that POP be extended to the Blue/Green division  -- since the merger of CTS and the old Shaker Rapid, the Red Line's pay at the station (or at the train door) vs. Shaker's historic "pay enter, east bound" "pay, leave, westbound" has been a confusing mess to passegners trying to use both systems which, obviously, has been more in play since the opening of the airport leg in 1968.  (the disparate systems really reflect the broken, stratified Cleveland mentality:  feeling was: West Siders and East siders go downtown, go to work, and go home; ditto Shaker/Heights riders -- so what's the need for a unified rail system?)

 

Of course, many East Siders hold to the maxim that the Airport is the only thing worth going to on the West side, while some West Siders still brag how many years, decades it's been since they've been downtown -- sick.

 

Jerry responded with the general RTA response: money.  He said because the Blue & Green lines have so many more stops, most with much lighter usage than the avg Red Line station, Blue/Green POP just wouldn't be cost effective.  I pointed out that Baltimore's Light Rail uses POP even though they have 33 LRT stations, versus 33 here (Blue, Green and WFL) – 3 of which are shared with the Red Line where ticket vending machines are already available….  Jerry said RTA would look into Baltimore, and I believe him… Once again, this seems like RTA being penny wise and pound foolish.

 

I've noticed that the articulated buses aren't being used on the 22 & 26 on the weekends anymore.  I can see not using them at night but I was on a eastbound 26 yesterday evening and around 80th and Detroit I saw a westbound bus with 2 standees...it was around 6:30pm.  I hope RTA will bring back the artics at least for daytime Saturday and early evenings. 

Having just two standees is probably not enough to make them run the artics on weekends fulltime, i would guess.

 

FYI...

RTA is currently training their drivers on the little busses formerly used as Community Circulators.  You will see those busses on many routes on Saturdays and Sundays in the near future.

 

Even though RTA doesn't run the artics on the 22/26 on the weekends anymore, they're still used well into the night weekdays on the 26.  I imagine it's for scheduling reasons (may be logistically difficult/non-cost-effective to ferry a smaller bus in for the late-evening/night hours) but it's still a little weird considering they're not being used even on Saturdays, where they could arguably be useful. 

 

Interesting to know about the former circulator buses being considered for traditional bus routes.  If it means that some bus routes can be saved, then I'm all for it.  It's a shame that the circulators were canceled en masse in the first place.  Perhaps someday we'll have a state government that doesn't give public transit the shaft...one can dream.

RTA's proposed service cuts could affect thousands of riders http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/11/rtas_proposed_service_cuts_cou.html

 

Looks like the initial proposal for 2010 cuts is out.  Remember, this is a proposal.  Public hearings in January.

 

Routes cut completely:

4 Wade park

12 Woodland

17 E 49th-Canal-Rockside

20Z Metroparks Zoo

24 Van Aken/Tri-C

50 E 116th-Harvard-W 117th

51F Strongsville PNR

52 Westgate

76F Turney

86F Berea-Olmsted Falls

88 Broadway-Northfield

145 York Flyer

702 John Marshall HS

722 Cleveland Heights HS

742 Bay HS

762 Maple Hts HS-Raymond

791 St. Edward HS

792 St. Joseph Academy-St. Ignatius

 

Some of the Partial cuts (there are many):

WaterFront - Discontinue rush hour service.  Weekends/Special Events Only

246 Westlake P&R - cut extention to St. John West Shore

263 N. Olmsted P&R - cut extentions to Olmsted Falls and Lorain Rd County Line.

75 North Olmsted - cut rush hour extention into downtown

39 run Rush hour service only

70 consolidate into 83

 

 

THAT'S DRACONIAN!!!

According to the Plain Dealer article, evening and weekend service is set to be discontinued on the 55(!).  The 55 has very good ridership from West 117th eastward on Saturdays, that I can personally attest to..buses frequently have a virtually full seated load daytime Saturdays. 

They are cutting weekends/evening service to all these routes:

• No. 1 St. Clair – late-night service between East 129th & East 152nd

• No. 2 East 55th-East 79th

• No. 25 Madison

• No. 34 East 200th-Green

• No. 37 East 185th-Taylor – south of Severance

• No. 40 Lakeview-Lee – discontinue service after midnight

• No. 48A University Circle-East 131st – South Miles branch

• No. 55 Clifton

• No. 76 Broadway-Turney – north of Turney-Ella loop

• No. 77F Brecksville – south of VA Hospital, north of Public Square

• No. 79A Fulton

 

There will not be much left if they keep cutting.  A few spurs off the train lines and that may be it in a few years...

Well, RTA, I was seriously considering going from a 2-car household to a 1-car household, since I live right on the 55.

 

But I guess I'll have to stay car-dependent.

This is an absolute joke to the city, county, region, and entire state of ohio!

I know this isn't RTA's fault and they are doing the best with what they have, but something down in Columbus has got to be done to give public transportation agencies more money. Someone said it either in this thread or a different thread, but Route 2 from Vine street to 615 is being completely re-done to add a third lane. Are you telling me this is ABSOLUTELY necessary so we can encourage more people and reward the people who chose to live way the eff out in mentor and painsville to drive downtown for work, or is keeping public transit options to the tens or hundreds of thousands of car free, college students, high school students, those who want to save money and not pay for a car, less fortunate, senior citizens, or anyone one else for that matter who CHOOSES or is FORCED to use RTA, regardless of their options, out in the cold and basically giving a big middle finger to all of us (holy run on sentance).

Hopefully this proposed list somehow can be cut drastically in the coming months, im holding out hope. 

Wow, that's a lot of hefty cuts.

Well, RTA, I was seriously considering going from a 2-car household to a 1-car household, since I live right on the 55.

 

But I guess I'll have to stay car-dependent.

 

Don't blame RTA. They get zero operating funding from the state or federal governments. The feds used to provide operating funding for big-city transit agencies until the late 90s and ODOT provided more than $40 million per year for transit agencies statewide (OK, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Detroit each get more than that from their state DOTs, but $40 million statewide is better than nothing).

 

The point is RTA is all on its own, wholly dependent on a local sales tax from a shrinking county whereas other transit agencies in other cities outside Ohio have a better balance of funding coming in from local, state and other sources.

And the busses that do run on Saturdays will be mainly the little Circulator busses?  Wow, RTA is close to it's rush-hour only operational goal.  Blame whoever you want.

I'm surprised the 40 is being cut.  It runs like water and is always packed.

I'm surprised the 40 is being cut.  It runs like water and is always packed.

 

It'll be cut after midnight on the weekends, but it will still run. 

http://209.51.133.155/cms/index.php/news_releases/more/all_aboard_ohio_releases_report_operation_sustain_transit/

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — November 17, 2009

Contact:

Ken Prendergast

All Aboard Ohio Executive Director

(216) 288-4883

[email protected]

 

All Aboard Ohio, which promotes better public transportation and passenger rail services, today announced a $158 million plan to reverse recent and planned cuts in bus and rail services to support greater access to jobs and opportunities while bolstering Ohio communities and employers. The nonprofit association pleaded with Ohio’s state and federal legislators to embrace its plan and restore Ohio’s public transportation systems before irreparable harm is done to them.

 

Download All Aboard Ohio’s “Operation: Sustain Transit!” plan at:

http://members.cox.net/corridorscampaign/Operation-Sustain%20Transit.pdf

 

This week, the state’s three largest transit systems announced another round in a series of service cuts, fare hikes or both. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (carries half of Ohio’s 250,000 daily transit riders), announced it will need to reduce or eliminate service on nearly 30 popular routes next year. Meanwhile, Cincinnati Metro recommended a 12 percent service reduction with a fare increase proposal. And, the Central Ohio Transit Authority in Columbus will increase fares by up to 26 percent in 2010. Other transit systems statewide are also following having to leave more riders at the curb.

 

“This is death by a thousand cuts,” said All Aboard Ohio President Bill Hutchison. “Each cut in service or increase in fares means that fewer Ohioans are able to reach jobs, health care, education or shopping. This isn’t just about the fate of essential transportation systems, it’s about the livelihood of communities, employers and people. This should be part of a plan to improve transportation overall. This is a long-running, worsening problem. We are pushing ourselves into becoming a third-rate state where hunger and poverty are getting extreme because people can't access jobs.”

 

The State of Ohio is one of the nation’s least generous when it comes to providing operating support to public transportation. According to the American Public Transportation Association, only 10 states support transit less than Ohio yet Ohio is the nation's 7th most populous state. Less than one percent of Ohio’s $3.8 billion annual transportation budget goes to public transit. Per capita, Indiana spends 3.6 times more than Ohio on transit, Michigan nearly 10 times more, and Pennsylvania than 33 times more, reports PolicyMatters Ohio.

 

“We may have disagreements about a few recent management decisions at some transit systems but that is not the reason why all of Ohio’s transit systems are in the same dire straits at the exact same time,” Hutchison said. “To focus on transit system management issues at this time is like arguing with your landlord about his choice of a painting contractor while your house is on fire. We have to put out the fire first.”

 

Unlike transit systems elsewhere in the nation which receive support from state governments to help operate extensive, affordable transit services for their citizens, Ohio transit systems are left to fend themselves. That’s especially true after Congress in the late 1990s axed all operating funding for transit systems in metro areas with populations greater than 250,000. Then, starting in 2001, Ohio elected officials slashed state funding for transit by 75 percent. Today, all transit agencies are dependent on municipal or county funding sources for nearly all of their non-passenger revenue.

 

All Aboard Ohio recommends that a healthier, more balanced approach is for Ohio transit systems to have their operating funding sources divided roughly equally from passenger fares, local taxes, state revenues and federal sources. Its $158 million "Operation: Sustain Transit" plan would begin to accomplish that goal, Hutchison said.

 

END

If you want to see the latest horror that has resulted from RTA's dependence on the countywide sales tax, see:

 

http://www.nacs.net/~georgez/salestaxtrend1109.pdf

 

The short version of this report:  The peak level of the real monthly Cuyahoga County sales tax collection was experienced in February 2001. Since that peak, the current level of the monthly Cuyahoga County real sales tax has declined by a startlingly and stunningly large -22.7%

 

Not only was October 2009 the worst decline in the sales tax of any month for the last twenty years in Cuyahoga County, but March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November 2009 were nine of the ten worst declines in the Cuyahoga County sales tax of any month during the last 20 years.

^Outmigration along with the Great Recession.  Great.

 

The more Cuyahoga County loses in population, the more we can expect our public transportation system to suffer.  Density is key, and we've been losing density for years.

So I read the full list on the cleveland.bomb article, and I'm not sure how I feel about cutting the #7, #9, and #32 west of University Circle.  Yes, it does inconvenience me a little (wah, wah), but not nearly as much as it will inconvenience hundreds of daily riders.  The 7, 9, and 32 are always packed during rush hour (standing room only).  It will now be a two-seat trip into and out of the city for the commuters (either bus-rapid or bus-healthline).  If I had to wager a bet, I'd say those with the option to drive will start driving rather than take a two seat trip.

I've been driving downtown a few times a week lately, and really, I can't justify taking a train or bus.  It's only $3 to park (E13/Lakeside) and the time I save is stunning (several hours or so). 

 

Maybe RTA and City Hall could convince some of the lot owners to raise their rates, but seriously...3 bucks?  That's just insane.

The 7, 9, and 32 are always packed during rush hour (standing room only).  It will now be a two-seat trip into and out of the city for the commuters (either bus-rapid or bus-healthline).  If I had to wager a bet, I'd say those with the option to drive will start driving rather than take a two seat trip.

 

I wonder how many people will be looking for jobs elsewhere?

^As RTA resources stretch, I'm not sure RTA should even try to compete for your business.  May be time for RTA to focus purely on the transit dependent and, to the extent they're different, the very highest ridership or farebox recovery routes.  Even at the best of times, I'm not sure I understand why RTA really needs to provide park and ride service to places like Westlake and Strongsville (unless the ridership really doesn't have other options- I don't want to assume too much).

RTA is most certainly focusing on the strongest routes and eliminating the weakest routes. Problem is, after you eliminate the weakest routes, there are always the next-weakest routes to pare the next time the county sales tax declines.

 

If you eliminate routes to focus only on the transit-dependent, then support for RTA's COUNTYWIDE sales tax will wither and die. BTW, I'm told RTA's park-n-ride services do very well in terms of farebox recovery.

 

If RTA is redesigned to be nothing but a rolling soup kitchen, then why should I live in an urban center anymore if I can't partake of one of its benefits -- public transportation?

 

RTA's diminishing resources are not a given, UNLESS we continue to ignore public transit and other urban needs in this state as we have been.

Well, you guys got Strictland (sp?) who was going to change everything after the evil Taft.  Now what?

KJP, is the All Aboard Ohio proposal likely to get any real consideration.  Are our state leaders at all receptive or interested?

We will work with Strickland. That's something that could not be done with Taft.

I've been driving downtown a few times a week lately, and really, I can't justify taking a train or bus. It's only $3 to park (E13/Lakeside) and the time I save is stunning (several hours or so).

 

Maybe RTA and City Hall could convince some of the lot owners to raise their rates, but seriously...3 bucks? That's just insane.

 

The whole eastern side of downtown has rediculously cheap parking.  RTA cannot compete without parking rate hikes, but that discussion is for elsewhere.

I think once (if) they make these cuts, and then raise fares next year, the fare hike will be the camel that broke the straw's back for a large number of people.  The cuts might not affect certain people as they are largely evening or weekend service or a duplicative route like the 51F, but they leave a really bad taste in your mouth even if you're not affected by them.  But then following it up with another rate hike, which is sure to come, is going to cause a lot of people to just say forget about it, I'm sure my route is next and this isn't affordable anymore and I don't want to give them my business anymore as I'm disgusted, so I'll go back to driving.  Which is really awful, because there are so many who NEED it who won't have that option. 

We will work with Strickland. That's something that could not be done with Taft.

 

OK, great that a grass-roots, transportation advocacy group is reaching Governor Amtrak, but what about the leadership of the place that's hurt?  What is Mayor Jackson saying?  Maybe I'm missing it, but I haven't seen one word from about Ohio local transit funding.  Yes, MMPI and casino is important, but transit affects a large cross-section of Clevelanders, esp the low and moderate income earners.  Mayor Jackson's from Central/Kinsman, one of the poorest income tracks in the state.  Residents there are getting rocked by these RTA cuts.  Put aside, for a moment, the Lakewood folks, who vociferously defended their Circulators.  What are the County Commissioners saying? 

 

These are the people who should be pounding Columbus about this.

Yes, you're right. They should.

I think most of the local/county leaders understand that the state is as broke right now. I (like most people on here) understand that the transit cuts have been going on since long before the recession, but there's no way that the state can do much till the recession is over. I would doubt that transit is going to find any money for the next couple years, unless it is from some unexpected sources (like what KJP is proposing). Even then, I would doubt that a steady dedicated source of funding is going to be possible till the economy is reasonably recovered.

I have an idea: stop changing the timetable for the #26 every three months and you'll save a load of money on printing!  Honestly, I'd hate to know what they spend on all these quarterly updates.  It's not like they run on a schedule anyways...

 

Yes, I'm grumpy about my bus service lately.

We have to do this now because when the economy picks up again and the sales tax recovers, the sales tax revenues will briefly mask the problem.

 

Anything can be solved if there is a will to solve it and not pass the buck. If we lazily say the state is broke and do nothing, then that's exactly what will happen.

I agree that it should be done now, but I have my doubts about your chances of success. I think our state legislators will be more than hesitant to spend any money at the same time that they're voting on a pay cut for themselves.

Maybe so. And our state certainly has a long and glorius tradition of inaction. But we have to try in order to avoid becoming the Mississippi of the North.

Maybe so. And our state certainly has a long and glorius tradition of inaction. But we have to try in order to avoid becoming the Mississippi of the North.

 

We are well on our way. I saw a story that said Ohio has the 12th highest hunger rate in the country. Where is our pride?

A lot of people will strongly object to the proposed changes to the 39, because:

 

• it is packed, usually standing room only and sometimes not even that, every time I've ever ridden it (including peak, midday, evenings and weekends)
  
• It serves a densely populated, working- to middle-class suburb with many transit-dependent individuals
  
• Rerouting via the 30 would more than double the trip time to downtown for most riders
  
• No other service duplicates most of the 39 route, no nearby parallel service exists, no other buses to the northern section of Euclid go downtown, and the only other buses that do go downtown are more than 2 km away and in isolated and unsafe areas.
  
• Middle-class riders will not be willing to transfer at Stokes, especially at night (I do sometimes, but don't feel particularly safe, and I lived near there for much of my life).
  
• There are better ways to reduce the cost of the 39 service while impacting far fewer riders (see below).
  

 

I would propose the following steps to reduce the cost of 39 service particularly at the few points where it is not heavily used:

 

• Consider eliminating nonpeak service through Bratenahl, where usage is light and few riders are transit-dependent.
  
• Consider changing some or even all nonpeak 39 trips to the 39F route.  Riders between E. 140 and E. 185 are already served by the 30 route and many could get a quicker drip downtown than they have now by taking 30 or 37 north to E. 185 then transferring to the 39F.
  
• Consider eliminating nonpeak service east of roughly E.266 (the last of the highrises).  The 94 could be rerouted to travel east on LSB rather than west, to provide a similar level of service between E. 260 and Shoregate, which is not heavily traveled.
  
• Consider bringing back express fares.  It's almost universally agreed that higher fares disrupt people's lives less than the kinds of draconian reductions in service that we're talking about here, and I for one would gladly pay more for 39, 39F, or 239 service if that were the only alternative to losing it.
  

 

I ride the 39/39F as well and everytime I'm on it it is completely packed.

Last year I rode the bus home regularly from Cleveland state, leaving downtown at 715 or 745pm, and every bus had people standing on it. The latest I rode it home from downtown was 11pm and it was probably 80% full.

As far as Bratenahl is concerned, the only places i ever see people board and unboard is at Eddy Road and Bratenahl/E. 105th, and they usually always start to make the walk south to the other side of the 90. I wouldnt have a problem if the route bypassed all of Bratenahl and instead took the highway and got on/off at the Lakeshore Blvd ramp.

I ride the 39/39F as well and everytime I'm on it it is completely packed.

Last year I rode the bus home regularly from Cleveland state, leaving downtown at 715 or 745pm, and every bus had people standing on it. The latest I rode it home from downtown was 11pm and it was probably 80% full.

As far as Bratenahl is concerned, the only places i ever see people board and unboard is at Eddy Road and Bratenahl/E. 105th, and they usually always start to make the walk south to the other side of the 90. I wouldnt have a problem if the route bypassed all of Bratenahl and instead took the highway and got on/off at the Lakeshore Blvd ramp.

 

It would seem from these cuts that RTA is trying to maximize their transit hubs.  Unfortunately, with so many one seat rides potentially becoming two seat rides, people who can drive will probably start, thus this strategy is smart and incredibly stupid all at the same time.

^^I, like many passengers, thought it was a bad move when they combined the 39x and 39bx and made all the routes go through Bratenahl. You're right that there are very few passengers that ever get on/off during that stretch.

 

I've been thinking about it a little and I don't think I'm terribly dissatisfied with the changes being made. Though the route gets packed outside of rush hour, most riders are only going a few miles, not all the way from Euclid to Downtown. The changes will inconvenience me, and my fellow riders, but if the choice is being inconvenienced vs. someone else losing the option of a ride, I'll suck it up.

 

Realistically, this probably means that outside of rush hour I'll be driving, but truth be told, I'd probably at least consider driving in an unusual circumstance where I have to get between downtown and home outside of rushhour anyway.

 

^^^I agree that there is very low ridership between E 260th and Shoregate, but there really isn't anywhere for the busses to turn around and park to await the next route. Plus if you don't have a bus going as far as shoregate, the transit dependent would lose the ability to transfer to Laketran. In addition, on the weekends the ridership on this stretch picks up with people headed to the stores at Shoregate.

I ride the 39/39F as well and everytime I'm on it it is completely packed.

Last year I rode the bus home regularly from Cleveland state, leaving downtown at 715 or 745pm, and every bus had people standing on it. The latest I rode it home from downtown was 11pm and it was probably 80% full.

As far as Bratenahl is concerned, the only places i ever see people board and unboard is at Eddy Road and Bratenahl/E. 105th, and they usually always start to make the walk south to the other side of the 90. I wouldnt have a problem if the route bypassed all of Bratenahl and instead took the highway and got on/off at the Lakeshore Blvd ramp.

 

It would seem from these cuts that RTA is trying to maximize their transit hubs.  Unfortunately, with so many one seat rides potentially becoming two seat rides, people who can drive will probably start, thus this strategy is smart and incredibly stupid all at the same time.

 

You can count me in the single person in a car, using precious resources and paying a h#ll of a lot more money to drive rather than taking a 2 or 3 seat trip that will double the normal bus ride.

OK, I'm not yelling here. I'm just using really large, red letters to make this flier easier for you to find in the future......

 

SAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT!

Download the flier from:

http://members.cox.net/corridorscampaign/Save%20public%20transit%20flier.pdf

 

I need your help! Please print out this flier in large quantities and post them legally in visible places. Or just hand them out to people on your bus or train each day. If the driver asks you to stop, please comply. Thanks!

 

• Consider bringing back express fares.  It's almost universally agreed that higher fares disrupt people's lives less than the kinds of draconian reductions in service that we're talking about here, and I for one would gladly pay more for 39, 39F, or 239 service if that were the only alternative to losing it.

 

 

 

If raising express fares can help preserve service (local and express), then I'm all for it.  I would be willing to pay extra to ride my "home" line, the 55, downtown if necessary.

I think it's seriously time this state amend the law banning gas tax revenues from being spent for non-road improvement, notably mass transit... Time to shoot that old conservative sacred cow.  I'm sure ODOT would fight this tooth 'n nail; I say: bring it on!... Drivers have got to get out of the outdated mentality that transit has no affect on them: dummy, the more people ride the buses or rails, the freer the roads are!  Only a few farmer Bob's out in the sticks would be unaffected.  I'm sure over a huge majority of Ohioans live in metro areas -- areas where some form of transit exists; and most of those in one of the 3-Cs, where only Cleveland has true mass transit (but really needs to expand it), while the other C's are furiously trying develop mass transit.  Yeah, I know capital costs have a fed match, and we're talking operating expenses, but somehow, someway, this auto-happy state has to get into the wallets of those car-wedded people, many of whom are single-passenger commuters with SUVs or the equivalent guzzlers...

 

This state is struggling, esp the old industrial centers in the north.  Those who fit the last profile I painted, are well off enough and can afford to bear more of a burden.  Change the law and allow some of that money to fund our important transit operations.