GAINESVILLE - The second of two public hearings on the Gainesville-Hall transit system at the Georgia Mountains Center Wednesday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. drew better attendance than the hearing at Gainesville State College held around 2:00 p.m.
In all 20 people attended, but 14 of them at the Mountains Center were Red Rabbit bus riders who had something say about proposed system changes aimed at cutting expenses, which is what county commissioners and city officials want according to Community Services Director Phillippa Lewis Moss.
Those changes include keeping fares the same but eliminating free transfers, which could generate around $50,000. Another fare option is making all fares a dollar but keep the transfers free. Then there is making all fares a dollar but restricting transfers to a few locations.
"It's like a double whammy," said wheel chair bound Charles Lawson, who relies on the Red Rabbit for doctor appointments, saying it's hard to deal with fare increases and route reduction and service. "I could deal with one but it's harder to deal with both. I know many people who depend on the Red Rabbit to go to work and to go to school too."
Moss said Route 2, the 'Blue Route' to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, might be the most likely to be cut because of low ridership and because another bus route serves the hospital. One patron from New Holland community remarked that people with medical appointments may not ride the bus but once a month, but 'when we need it, we need it," she said.
Retired educator Doreen Thomas said shutting down Route 2 would not be good for her.
"It comes to the corner where I live at College and Prior Street and otherwise I would have to walk to the office on Main Street to get a bus or over to Fair Street," she said. Walking is good for me but when I overdo it it's bad for me; I can't walk everywhere. If I have to go to the doctor I wouldn't be able to go by bus."
Eliminating the route would save about $125,000, but starting up a new route, Route 8 that would run to the Liberty Mutual Building, the new Hall County Government Center, would cost about the same to start up and maintain. Moss said closing one and starting the other would be revenue neutral.
At the GSC hearing Emory Turner said he favors a route to the county's new administration building.
"What we're hoping for is that they will reach back and bring us along with the building that they decided to move into," Turner said.
Under another change Red Rabbit would reduce service hours in the morning and evening, running buses from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. instead of 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 P.M.
Moss said while turnout for the hearings appeared sparse, the riders concerns would be heard. A transit survey garnered just over 300 responses.
"Three hundred and nine people answered the survey along with individuals who attended today's meeting as well as emails, faxes and letters we've received," she said. "We'll have a good 400 comments to share with our elected officials, which is considerable."
According to Moss it would be another month before she's ready to present a cost cutting recommendation to commissioners and city council members. While state and federal funding pays most of the transit budget, Gainesville and Hall County each annually contribute $172,000 to the total $750,000 cost.
"If I did have to make the recommendation tomorrow I would say that we should reduce the service hours by one and a half to two hours a day, we can achieve some savings that way," Moss said. "At a very minimum I would restrict the free transfer policy to just a couple of locations. Those two changes themselves could generate anywhere from $40,000 or more and those won't have a huge negative impact on the ridership and hopefully not a huge financial burden on the passengers."
Thursday
October 17th, 2024
5:21AM
