Down The Sewer Pipe – Politically Speaking

What “Public Transit” needs to be is what, in broad general terms it is not. “Public Transit” needs to meet the following criteria:

• Connivance
• Affordability
• Safety
• Speed

Let me explain the rational behind each one.

Connivance – if people have to walk twelve blocks to catch a bus, subway, cab or train then they will take their car.  In terms of connivance you must put yourself in the seat of the people using the transit system.  While connivance may look like it cost a bit of money a half filled or less bus costs more in the form of lost revenue.

Affordability – Keep the price cheep because if the price of use becomes more than your population is willing to pay for the fare box will be empty.  The question to ask here is this: “if some people will pay two dollars for a ticket will more people buy a ticket for one dollar?”  More filled seats mean more revenue so at two dollars a ticket does it make sense to have thirty unfilled seats on a fifty-seat bus?

Safety – Both the operator and the riders need to be safe, and feel safe. Plan for some sort of real teeth type security with the power to arrest.  Place these persons on the bus or train at random times, random routs, and random times of the day for all hours of the operation.  Invest in cameras to be sure but a visible security presence will have amazing proactive effects.  Avoid Portland Oregon’s TRI-MET security lapse where they are playing catch up because their security only works a nine to five venue.  When people became hurt or threatened TRI-MET said that they would increase the security presence.  Yet between 5:30 A.M. and 8:00 A.M. you can travel the entire transit system and never see a badge.

Speed – Getting from home to work quickly will fill more seats than in running a transit system where it takes one hour ninety minutes to travel ten and seven tenths miles.  To be sure one can travel to work or the store quicker in a car than a bus or train.  The answer is fast public transit because if it is fast then people may be willing to pay more for the connivance of speedy travel.

If all of these criteria are met then your public transit system will have an abundance of riders who will extol the virtues of your transit system.

Sherman