Sunday, November 12, 2006
Editorial: All aboard for better bus service
People will use public transportation if it makes life easier. Valley Metro's new buses should help.
From the RoundTable blog
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Commuters in other cities might yawn at Valley Metro's new sleek buses with the front-mounted bike racks and wonder what took Roanoke so long to catch on.
But for those in the valley who yearn to leave the car in the garage and bike to work without worrying about the weather holding all day, the new buses stir excitement.
Now if it pours, they can easily park their bikes on the front of the bus and catch a ride home.
The new buses also offer commuters the opportunity to bike to a bus stop and load their two-wheels outside, rather than drag them up the bus steps, park them in the aisle and endure the occasional disapproving look from not-so-bike-friendly passengers.
The new buses are particularly exciting to passengers like Jeanne Duddy, who in a story in Thursday's Roanoke Times said she asked Metro a year ago for bike racks but was told it was much too costly. "But now here we are ... It's like an early Christmas present."
The new buses -- 18 of the 2006 Gillig Phantoms are on order -- come at a steep cost, with most of it paid through federal and state aid. Roanoke would never be able to afford new buses on its own, especially if it depended solely on bus fares.
Since it costs nearly the same amount for Valley Metro to run bus routes full or empty, it is in the public's best interest when ridership increases. To accomplish that, Valley Metro needs to listen to potential customers.
Roanokers say they want more trails that allow for not only recreation but alternate commuting methods. They also want to burn less gasoline, especially when the price at the pump rolls upward.
They want cleaner air that comes from less congestion and more fuel-efficient vehicles, like the new Phantoms.
The new buses fill some of those wants. Now that is has the right equipment, Valley Metro should make sure it brings the buses to the places people want to go at the times they wish to travel.
