Election 2008: Lawrence Transit Issue

The League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County is urging everyone to vote ‘Yes’ for the Lawrence Transit System (the “T”), and will hold a forum on public transit in Lawrence

Forum on Public Transit – the “T”
7:00 – 9:00 PM, Wednesday, October 8th
Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont St, Lawrence, KS

“While the League of Women Voters of Lawrence Douglas County is disappointed that the Lawrence City Commission has chosen to subject the T to a referendum, we recognize that a good public transit system is an essential service for a city the size of Lawrence . Therefore, we strongly support the Lawrence Transit System and urge everyone to vote ‘Yes’ on both ballot questions 2 and 3,” League President Carrie Lindsey said. The questions will put to a vote during the general election on November 4th. Question 2 would allocate a 0.2 percent sales tax for the transit system; Question 3 would allocate an additional 0.05 percent for the transit system. “It is very important that we vote ‘Yes’ on both questions,” Lindsey said, “because, while the 0.2 percent tax will keep the T running in the short term, only with the additional 0.05 percent tax will the city be able to replace buses as needed and provide the enhanced service absolutely necessary for good operation of our transit system.”

Public transit has been shown to be an important element in business attraction, and other communities regard their transportation systems as a tool for economic development. Public transit is good for employers, moving residents who otherwise would have no reliable way to get to work across town. Public transportation is also good for local retail business, getting residents without other modes of transport to shopping areas. In Lawrence, a 2007 survey of Lawrence Transit System riders found that the large majority of riders report taking the T to work (40%), places of education (15%), and medical treatment (8%); and 13% take it to shopping destinations.

“Public transit already moves hundreds of Lawrence residents around our city every day, including many of our most vulnerable citizens,” Lindsey said. “The T provides transportation for people with disabilities, seniors, minors, and others without access to vehicles, not to mention many residents who use the service as a way to save on gasoline or lessen their carbon footprint as they travel around town.” 2007 ridership surveys found that the majority of riders use the T five days a week or more (55%); 28% use it 2-4 days a week. Moreover, almost half (46%) of all riders report annual household income of less than $15,000; 24% report $15-25,000. Seventy-eight percent of riders indicated they had no other vehicle available when making a transit trip. While 39% of riders reported taking the T for convenience, 31% report having no other choice.

“Since it began delivering services in 2001, the T has increased ridership in every year but 2007,” said Lindsey. Bus fares were raised twice in 2007. “Even with this fare increase, last year, the T provided 232,000 more one-way trips on its fixed routes than it did in 2001.” According to recent data gathered from the National Transit Database, among transit systems in 26 cities in the Midwest with urbanized area populations of fewer than 100,000, the Lawrence T demonstrated the greatest percentage increase in ridership by far. T ridership increased 171.6% between 2001 and 2006. This was more than twice as large as the next largest increase (70.1% in Dubuque , IA ).

Asked why the League would support a sales tax to fund public transit, Lindsey replied “It’s true that the League generally does not support sales taxes as a method for funding city services. Sales taxes, after all, are fundamentally regressive and hit our poorest residents the hardest. Given the City Commission’s decision to put the T to a referendum, however, we see no alternative but to urge everyone to vote ‘Yes’. The League has studied transit options in Lawrence for years now. We have supported citywide transit in general since 1971 and have supported the T from its inception. Mostly, however, it’s clear from the data,” Lindsey said, “that the T is absolutely essential for a large portion of the Lawrence community. If we end the service now, Lawrence will lose important federal funding for transit and put Lawrence at least a decade behind our peer cities in providing transit services.

“Public transportation helps reduce traffic congestion, reducing travel time and cost for everyone,” Lindsey said. “It reduces the need to repair and expand of the road network. It saves energy. It helps reduce auto emissions, improving air quality. And it’s significantly safer than travel in single-passenger vehicles. Our bus system may not be the most convenient yet, and it may not be a transportation option that everyone chooses to use yet, but it is an essential public service that a growing city cannot do without.”

Community-wide surveys performed in 2007 found that, even though 60% of respondents did not use the T, the majority of Lawrencians agree with the League and support the T. Sixty percent of respondents said that current level of funding for public transit in Lawrence should “be somewhat greater than it is now” or “be much greater than it is now.” Sixty-two percent of respondents said the Lawrence Transit Authority should focus on “maximizing service area and increasing frequency of service”, not cutting back on either, and that they would take public transit at least once a week if transit stops were located closer to their home (58%) or where they wanted to go (60%), or if their car is not available (72%), or the price of gas stays high or rises (59%). “With gas prices hovering between $3.50 and $4.00 a gallon, we hope that a huge majority of Lawrence voters will agree that we must save the T,” Lindsey said.

“It’s time Lawrence accepted the T as a permanent part of our city’s infrastructure, not some frill whose existence we can question or put to special vote every time there’s a budget shortfall,” Lindsey said. “Instead of scrapping the T, or cutting service to the bone, Lawrence should be making the forward-looking choice to invest in our public transit system. We must save our bus system, fund it adequately now, and start planning to expand the service in the future.”

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