Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Transit Funding – the saga continues
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
July 17, 2013 at 5:24 pm #608256
WFMemberonce again i see transit funding/service cuts in the news and discussed politically. frankly it gets annoying that instead of Metro looking internally they want others to pay.
Metro needs to seriously look at the obscenely expensive Access Service that costs over $40 a ride to provide that they charge a mere $1 that is unfair to all the other users of the system. If Metro simply eliminated this expensive service they could virtually solve the funding issue in one fell swoop!
Other items Metro can raise fares and look at operating costs that are among the highest in the nation.
I use Metro and the fare charged is very cheap!
July 17, 2013 at 5:39 pm #793908
miwsParticipantJust in case you didn’t know, *cough* forgot *cough* this was discussed a year or so ago, I frankly think it will just end up like the topics that are rehashed from time to time, and that are so similar to their same topic predecessors, that it’s almost as if the new iteration is a cut and paste of the previous.
https://westseattleblog.com/forum/topic/metro-access-cost
Mike
July 17, 2013 at 5:46 pm #793909
WFMembermiws like i had indicated the saga continues. instead of metro looking externally for more funding it is time for them to look internally.
transit is an extremely important service for our community; but it important to realize that there are limits as to resources. it is time to better allocate these limited resources.
July 17, 2013 at 6:08 pm #793910
JanSParticipantAccess service is for disabled people, who are probably on limited income. I used it for quite some time to get to and from dialysis, as there is no regular Metro service from the Admiral District to North Delridge that doesn’t involve a lot of walking. I was getting done with dialysis at 10pm…and I certainly didn’t want (nor could) walk 3-4 blocks to access a regular bus on lower Spokane St. and go through the junction to get to Admiral late at night.
Why are people always willing to cut services for the most vulnerable among us, the neediest among us, when they bitch and moan when the services are taken away from them, who are very able bodied. I don’t get it. To save a few sheckles in your pocket? Give me a break…
oh, and it costs more than a buck.
July 17, 2013 at 6:12 pm #793911
JanSParticipantAccess service is for disabled people, who are probably on limited income. I used it for quite some time to get to and from dialysis, as there is no regular Metro service from the Admiral District to North Delridge that doesn’t involve a lot of walking. I was getting done with dialysis at 10pm…and I certainly didn’t want (nor could) walk 3-4 blocks to access a regular bus on lower Spokane St. and go through the junction to get to Admiral late at night.
Why are people always willing to cut services for the most vulnerable among us, the neediest among us, when they bitch and moan when the services are taken away from them, who are very able bodied. I don’t get it. To save a few sheckles in your pocket? Give me a break…
oh, and it costs more than a buck.
July 17, 2013 at 6:23 pm #793912
WFMemberwhere is the boundary, there are not infinite resources? it is easy for people that are not paying the shackles to want others to pay. where does it stop?
btw there is private service available, cabulance that my mom has used a number of times.
July 17, 2013 at 6:49 pm #793913
KBearParticipantSo if one is going to be disabled, they should also make sure to be wealthy?
July 17, 2013 at 7:07 pm #793914
miwsParticipanthttp://www.pugetsoundcabulance.com/rates.php
I suppose, at least in some cases insurance would cover this, but for some people, there’s too many hoops to jump through to get coverage.
Mike
July 17, 2013 at 7:37 pm #793915
JanSParticipantwow….dialysis is 3X a week. The cheapest would be 40 bucks for a round trip. That makes it $120 for the week, and $480 for a 4 week month. Now, these people are disabled, probably living on disability…how the hell are they to afford this if not covered by insurance? What world do you live in, WF?
The regular Metro fare for disabled is what? Something like 75 cents? So, Access at $1.25 each way is more than regular Metro would make.
I sincerely hope that you do not end up disabled, needing services, on a limited income, and then have someone imply that you’re a “moocher”. I thank my lucky stars that Access was available when I needed them. They provided door to door service, and when I was in a wheelchair, had the lift, made sure I was secure.
I’m sorry you feel that I was simply taking advantage, because I could. I guess you’d have to walk in my shoes for a while, huh…see what it’s really like, instead of armchair quarterbacking!
July 17, 2013 at 8:19 pm #793916
miwsParticipantPost that declares, or at least intimates, “Oh, I didn’t mean you Jan, and I’m glad you got your transplant”, coming in 3…..2…..1….
July 17, 2013 at 8:31 pm #793917
ThistlemistMemberI would sincerely hope that Access is the LAST thing that gets touched…. unless they find a workable way of cutting back the cost without cutting back the service.
When looking at the operating budget of Metro, it is really important to keep in mind just how diverse of an area King County is and how truly unique it is nationally to have major urban areas in the same transit district as truly rural areas like Fall City, Duvall, Enumclaw….. Not that these rural areas have a tremendous amount of transit, but there are routes on major throughways (as it should be given they pay taxes too) and it cost money to run that many miles of bus lanes. I do not have the answers to any of the budget issues but I do respect the unique local situations that Metro has to work with.
July 17, 2013 at 9:30 pm #793918
WFMemberaccess is hugely expensive thistlemist; and a private alternative exists see post #8. i have used this service a number of times for my mom and it works very well!
July 17, 2013 at 10:01 pm #793919
kgdlgParticipantWF sounds A LOT like some other folks who used to comment here a while back…WF this is a cruel thread.
July 18, 2013 at 12:23 am #793920
WFMemberwhat is so cruel about the thread kgdlg? metro identified a budget shortfall and what is wrong about identifying hugely costly items that in essence force cuts to other user groups?
July 18, 2013 at 12:25 am #793921
JanSParticipantbut cabulance is for every now and then…it’s not meant, and is too expensive for every day or every other day use…
July 18, 2013 at 12:27 am #793922
WFMemberok, why not raise transit fares? $2.50 to get to downtown Seattle is an out right bargain!
July 18, 2013 at 12:38 am #793923
miwsParticipantJuly 18, 2013 at 12:39 am #793924
JanSParticipantWF…those able bodied people would scream at that..5 bucks a day to get to work? Heaven forbid :-
July 18, 2013 at 12:49 am #793925
WFMemberok jans what would you do then for funding?
July 18, 2013 at 12:50 am #793926
JanSParticipantit’s not my job to decide :D
July 18, 2013 at 12:53 am #793927
kgdlgParticipantWF are you under the impression that poor disabled people have so many other choices? My brother in law lives on SSDI and you know what, it isn’t a lot! He can’t drive and he can’t work. So how should be get to his doctors appointments? Sounds like you want all disabled people to stay in their houses (if they have them) and avoid treatment because they can’t afford market rate cab rides. That is cruel, Hoop, um, WF.
July 18, 2013 at 1:00 am #793928
WFMemberwhat about all the other poor folks who have their transit service reduced to pay for the hugely expensive access service?
modestly raising transit fares for all users is a reasonable option that needs to be put on the table. charging the users of the access service needs to be increased to the maximum allowed by law; that i understand is twice the standard rate.
why is raising transit fares not the number 1 item on the table? or what about the fact that the operating costs are amongst the highest in the country?
July 18, 2013 at 1:02 am #793929
WFMemberbtw my mom is severely disabled with late stage dementia and we have had to use the cabulance service a number of times. this service works well!
July 18, 2013 at 1:31 am #793930
miwsParticipantJuly 18, 2013 at 1:39 am #793931
kgdlgParticipantLove it!
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.