Wednesday, Jul. 08, 2009

Ben Franklin Transit supporters oppose cuts to service

By Pratik Joshi, Herald staff writer

Many Ben Franklin Transit users are unhappy about proposed changes that include cutting routes, reducing services and charging a fee for the taxi feeder service.

About 30 transit users and supporters shared their concerns with transit officials at a Tuesday morning hearing in Kennewick. An afternoon session drew about 50 people.

The transit agency is proposing the cuts to respond to declining revenues, which come primarily from a portion of the sales tax. But some transit users want the agency to reconsider.

"There's a genuine lack of understanding of what it is to rely on the bus," said Nancy Osborn of Kennewick, who said she works for Benton-Franklin Head Start and doesn't own a car.

She asked how people are expected get home from work in the evening and go to church on Sunday, referring to BFT's plans to end weekday bus service at 6 p.m., about a half-hour earlier, and to eliminate the Sunday shared taxi-ride service.

Osborn said for some people church is the only support network they have, and lack of access could cause them problems like depression.

She added that early termination of evening service may be hard on working people, who she said would have to wait more than an hour for the night service, which starts at 7 p.m. "Some people may be forced to quit their jobs," she said.

Peggy Panisko, who lives in West Richland, said she is OK with the proposed cuts because she understands the transit agency's dilemma. "You've only so many dollars to operate," said Panisko. "It's tough, but we'll survive."

"I'm not happy about this," said Kathy McMullen, transit's manager of service development, as she presented the plans at the hearing. "No matter how we go about it, it hurts a few people," she said.

Transit fares cover only about 13 percent of the costs, McMullen said. She said recent revenue shortages have made it necessary to look at alternatives that include trimming and cutting services.

It costs BFT $18 to $20 per person each way for the Sunday service and about $3 per person per trip systemwide.

McMullen said sales tax revenues continue to decline. The agency is considering using 10 percent of its $2.8 million federal stimulus package to help support transit operations, she said.

Several transit users offered suggestions to prevent the proposed service cuts.

A comment McMullen heard in the afternoon hearing, which attracted 48 community members, was that BFT should eliminate its marketing department. Someone also suggested changing all bus routes to hourly service to reduce costs, she said.

Bill Hoage of Kennewick, who's blind and said he depends on transit, suggested instead of cutting the Sunday service totally, BFT could run it from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help people get to church and back home.

Osborn suggested the transit agency explore possible support from big businesses like Wal-Mart and Lowe's to retain the service it provides.

A public hearing on the proposals is scheduled at 6 p.m. today at the Prosser Library, 902 Seventh St.

The proposed changes are to be discussed and voted on by the transit board Thursday at its regular meeting.

For more information, contact Kathy McMullen at 734-5107 or kmcmullen@bft.org, or go to www.bft.org and click on "news."

-- Pratik Joshi: 582-1541; pjoshi@tricityherald.com