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SCVTARU founder Eugene Bradley was at the Mountain View proposed service cut meeting, and has this to report below. Note that we have also obtained a report from the Palo Alto meeting held earlier that day, from someone who attended that meeting.
Both meetings began with a presentation from VTA staff on their current financial condition (being broke on June 30, 2003 if no revenue streams are found, and how they face a $6 billion deficit over the next two decades). VTA Staff also showed how sales tax revenue needed to run the system dropped by over 20% over the last few quarters.
Specific goings on at each meeting are below.
Palo Alto - Lucie Stern Community Center - 2pm
Palo Alto VA Hospital patients and workers protested regarding elimination of Saturday service from line 88 as well as reduced weekday frequency on that line. Those who protested against line 88 service reductions included a center for the blind that is in the area.
At the Palo Alto meeting, one rider had expressed concern that VTA needs to do better public relations when lines have to be rerouted during events that run along bus routes. Examples she stated included the Palo Alto Winterfest where the 35 had to be rerouted and riders were never notified as to where to catch the rerouted buses.
Attendance at this meeting, according to a rider I spoke to who went to that meeting, was about 20 people.
Mountain View - City Hall Council Chambers - 7pm
This is the meeting our founder, Eugene Bradley, went to. Like the Palo Alto meeting, about 20 people showed up. It was a little more upbeat than the previous meetings.
One chart emphasized the fact that the proposed service cuts were "potential" depending on public input and further financial reevaluation by VTA Staff at the December 12 VTA Board meeting.
Several VTA bus and light rail operators, and a mechanic, were at this meeting. One driver expressed dismay that the December 12 VTA Board meeting that will be held at 9am instead of the usual 6pm was "unfair" to disgruntled transit riders and VTA workers. VTA Staff noted that financial proposals would be discussed at the December 12 VTA Board meeting.
During the financial presentation, Irvin pointed out that the VTA comptroller did not mention revenue from 1996 Measure B. The comptroller answered that the presentation was not meant to trick the audience into anything but some in the audience grew suspicious of the data. This was confirmed when another of the VTA drivers at the meeting pointed out how revenue growth was expected in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2003. The comptroller admitted, after further pressure, that the revenue growth projected for late 2003 was speculation.
One woman in the audience pointed out the low attendance at this meeting, and noted the general apathy for these meetings. She stated that VTA needed to do a better job in informing the public about these kinds of meetings, as she could not find one pamphlet describing the proposed service cuts on any light rail train. She also mentioned there was very little advertising on the light rail trains re: the service cut meetings.
During the service cuts portion of the meeting, and before the audience was broken up into groups, one woman who rode the 300 stated how elimination of midday service would force her into taking a crowded 22 bus, making her late for work. She stated how the VTA failed to listen to her when service frequency was ultimately reduced on the 22 during the last series of service cut meetings in April 2002.
One upset audience member expressed displeasure over what happened to all the tax money and fares he's paid over the years. The host for the meeting, another VTA staff member, had to calm him down before the meeting could continue.
It was also pointed out that the Bay Area bus systems average 37 riders/hour on their systems, while VTA averages 31 riders/hour on their bus systems.
When the groups were broken up, our Founder, Eugene Bradley, spoke with a VTA staff member on bringing back line 20 to run in place of Tasman West light rail on evenings and weekends. The former line 20 was frequently proven to be faster than the light rail that replaced it, as was also pointed out by two other Tasman West light rail users. Our founder pointed out, according to a VTA quarterly financial report last year, it takes $150/hour to run a bus, and $200/hr to run light rail. Supervisor Blanca Alvarado, during a VTA Workshop back in April 2002, running buses in place of light rail should be looked at, as a way of saving revenue.
Information to the departing audience members was given out by SCVTARU members and supporters, on more things they can do to protect the bus and light rail service.
Overall, both meetings were informative with audience members who spoke out often. The Mountain View meeting lastednearly two (2) hours.
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