ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 16, 1996 TAG: 9607160051
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: What's on your mind?
SOURCE: RAY REED
Q: It is essential for Roanoke to have good public transportation. Efficiency concerns me, though, when I see city buses with fewer than six people on them. Wouldn't large vans or smaller buses be more economical? What is the cost per mile to operate a city bus? I'm afraid the gas tax that's proposed will never end; whenever they need more money, they'll just add a couple of cents.
D.F., Roanoke
A: Taxpayers bear about 70 percent of the load for bus systems in most cities, and Roanoke is no different.
If we're to have public transportation, the ultimate question is which ports do the tax dollars flow through on their way to the bus company?
In this budget year, Valley Metro expects $2.3 million in subsidies from federal, state and local governments. Fares will provide $1.4 million.
This year, federal taxpayers contribute $574,000 to Valley Metro's bus operations; Roanoke city subsidizes the buses with $833,000. The trend is toward zero federal contribution by 1999. Will the lost federal dollars be replaced by a local gas tax?
Local government officials seem to think that's the only alternative.
Are smaller buses being more economical? Valley Metro operates five buses that carry up to 25 people, and their fuel savings are offset by higher maintenance costs.
The major expense is labor, anyway; each bus requires a driver.
Stephen Mancuso, general manager of Valley Metro, knows well the perception people get from seeing city buses running nearly empty in the middle of the day.
He says it's a bit frustrating, because the full-size, 37-passenger buses usually carry 35 to 40 during the hours when people start or leave work.
As for the possibility of running smaller vans as part of the bus service, Mancuso said gasoline engines cannot give the 12 to 15 years of service the diesel buses yield.
Constant running at slow speeds in city traffic would require replacing these vehicles every two years, Mancuso said.
Pulaski aid
Q: Pulaski County's graduating seniors received $1.3 million in scholarship assistance this year. How much of that was athletic aid; of the remainder, how much went to students in the Governor's School?| |C.K., Pulaski A: Three students received athletic scholarships totaling an estimated $96,000, said Cindy Watson, a guidance counselor.
Despite perceptions that may result from the attention focused on sports, athletic scholarships are few, Watson said.
Pulaski seniors who attended the Governor's School received scholarships worth $144,610.
The remaining $1 million aided other students.
Much of that $1 million was offered by private colleges and universities seeking to make their tuition costs competitive with those of state-supported schools.
In some cases, Watson said, scholarships are not determined solely by grades; corporations in a field a student plans to study may offer specialized scholarships.
Have a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Call us at 981-3118. Or, e-mail RayRRoanoke.Infi.Net. Maybe we can find the answer.
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