Tulsla Transit Cuts

[Red Arrow]

A Tulsa World article today announced that Tulsa Transit cuts will result in increased fares for some and reduced service for many.  Federal dollars will make each city dollar cut even more costly to the service. 

Increased fares and reduced service was the beginning of the end for most of the fixed rail street car service in this country decades ago.  Although the bus doesn't directly help me (since I live near 111th & Memorial), it keeps some other cars off the road which does help me.  Cutting service to those without alternate (car) transportation is wrong for a city trying to reduce its dependence on the automobile.

Across the board cuts are the easiest to declare but not always the right thing to do. I believe that mobility for the masses is important enough to warrant a high priority (along with public safety, police and fire, but they should be a different thread).

Most everyone claims that the buses are almost always empty.  This indicates an opportunity to attract more riders.  One way to make the bus more attractive is through more frequent service, not less.  Make the bus go where it is wanted and make it more convenient than using a personal vehicle.

I am in the crowd that believes that fixed rail will ultimately be a better solution for many routes but the bus is what we have now, let's not go backward.

[TheTed]

I fully agree with this post. I don't have access to a car most of the time. I live fairly close to the downtown bus depot, and I still find Tulsa Transit pretty worthless. Might as well ride my bike or walk for anything that's very close, and for anything more than a few miles from downtown, you almost have to devote a whole day just to run an errand.

I visit much smaller cities and see buses driving around on evenings and weekends, when we have limited to non-existent service.

Since rail is so far off, I'd like to see something like the Kansas City Max. It runs one route between downtown/midtown KC on very frequent intervals, so you don't have to schedule your whole day around when the bus comes. There are displays at stations telling you when the bus is coming, and gps to track the buses.

[waterboy]

I agree with you both. My memory of using the bus system up through the mid seventies was positive. Then they began to make things difficult. This isn't the first time they have raised the rates in response to lower revenue sources. Its kind of like blood letting and just as effective.

More frequent service, shorter routes that are easy to understand and please....please....put in a dollar bill changer or some card reader device to keep from having exact change. The last time I needed to ride the 15th street bus that was still a problem. These changes along with putting route maps at bus stops and lowering the rates, not raising them, would do wonders.

Perhaps it is a trust worthy of privatizing in order to keep it alive.

[godboko71]

I agree with you both. My memory of using the bus system up through the mid seventies was positive. Then they began to make things difficult. This isn't the first time they have raised the rates in response to lower revenue sources. Its kind of like blood letting and just as effective.

More frequent service, shorter routes that are easy to understand and please....please....put in a dollar bill changer or some card reader device to keep from having exact change. The last time I needed to ride the 15th street bus that was still a problem. These changes along with putting route maps at bus stops and lowering the rates, not raising them, would do wonders.

Perhaps it is a trust worthy of privatizing in order to keep it alive.

Not only would all those help not laughing at medium/large size companies trying to work with TT to help get better routes for there shifts. Not being closed on Sundays and having such reduced hours on Saturday would help too.

[Conan71]

Here's the problem with a card reader to use your debit card: they would have to jack the rates up to cover the set transaction fee (.30 to .50 per, I believe) and points (up to 3.25%), otheriwise it's just another expenditure that creates a bigger hole for TT.

Bill changers? Great idea.

[Red Arrow]

Doesn't need to be debit or credit card readers. 

Memphis has readers on the trolleys that read a card that you buy for a certain number of rides.  It could also work with all day passes,  monthly passes, etc.