Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 11, 1995 TAG: 9501190021
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
As the only viable remnant of public transportation in this area, the bus system needs to be expanded - not curtailed. In the face of imminent cuts in federal support, local governments need to act now to regionalize a system that is regional in name only.
In doing so, they not only could offset effects of the federal cutbacks. They could help develop a transportation system far more valuable to area residents, more helpful to the valley's quality of life and more cost-effective for taxpayers.
No, bus transit won't pay for itself. But trash collection doesn't, either. And if you cut bus service, you also cut fare revenues.
The situation, as outlined by Valley Metro general manager Stephen Mancuso this week, is that Valley Metro faces a deficit in operating funds in July because of federal budget cuts already authorized in Washington, and additional cuts are expected to come down the pike. As a result, the bus system likely will have to scale back already limited services or seek increased subsidies of about $1.4 million from the city of Roanoke.
Yet, as Roanoke's Vice Mayor John Edwards put it: ``It's not just a city problem. It's a regional problem, a valley problem.'' If ever a case can be made for a regional approach to addressing a regional problem, this is it.
Valley Metro now serves the city almost exclusively. Under contract arrangements with Salem and Vinton, it provides one route in each of those jurisdictions, and provides no bus service whatsoever to Roanoke County, other than to Tanglewood Mall.
County taxpayers, however, help pay for the system's operation (and Salem and Vinton taxpayers pay more than they realize) through transportation taxes sent to Washington or Richmond and returned (a pitiful few cents on the dollar) to Roanoke city and Valley Metro. To stretch the analysis a bit further, county residents also pay in taxes for welfare and other social services for those in other valley jurisdictions who might more readily find and hold jobs in the county if they had a regular means of transportation to get to those jobs.
And, of course, Roanoke County taxpayers also pay a bit more (to the state) in increased costs for construction and maintenance of county streets and roads - due to the lack of public transportation and residents' near-total dependence on automobiles.
Encouragingly, Roanoke County Supervisor Lee Eddy seems to agree with Edwards that a regional approach is at least worth considering. Says Eddy: ``There are citizens of Roanoke County who could benefit from the service'' if the bus system goes regional.
The logical starting point would be for officials of all the valley jurisdictions to sit down and seriously explore Mancuso's suggestion of a valleywide transportation district.
Such a district might levy a regional sales tax on gasoline to support expanded bus service for all jurisdictions. Does anyone doubt that those tax dollars, to be spent on a local need and a local response, wouldn't give taxpayers more bang for the buck than those sent off to federal and state transportation bureaucracies?
However it would be shaped, and by whatever means it would be funded, a regional initiative would need the General Assembly's approval. The 1995 assembly opens today. Why not get started now?
by CNB