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closeMonday, Jul. 06, 2009
Ben Franklin Transit proposes service cuts in Prosser
By Drew Foster, Herald staff writer
PROSSER -- Ben Franklin Transit riders in Prosser may have fewer options to get around town on Saturdays come August.
Due to a revenue shortfall, transit officials are trimming services. Along with the elimination of its Sunday taxi service and modifications to its weekday schedule, transit may eliminate the Saturday demand-response service in Prosser.
Like Dial-A-Ride, the service allows transit users in Prosser to arrange for a ride to a predetermined location a day in advance.
"We're not getting the demand on Saturdays," said Kathy McMullen, transit's service development manager.
Frank Moreno, a Dial-A-Ride supervisor in Prosser, said between 400 and 600 people use the service Monday through Friday in Prosser. Between 12 and 20 customers use it on Saturdays, he said.
"Some Saturdays, we're lucky if we have two or three riders," Moreno said.
Dial-A-Ride inside Prosser on Saturdays may be cut as well, McMullen said. However, she said Dial-A-Ride into and out of Prosser will not be affected.
A public hearing on the proposed cuts will be at the Prosser branch of the Mid-Columbia Libraries at 6 p.m. Wednesday. A transit board meeting then will be Thursday, where board members will make a decision on the proposed cuts.
The proposed cuts are in response to slumping sales tax revenue. McMullen said about 83 percent of transit's funding comes from sales tax revenue, which she expects to be up to $3 million lower in 2009 than 2008. The proposed cuts in Prosser would save transit about $50,000 annually, she said.
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