Valley Metro Urged By Roanoke City Council to Cut Bus Service

[Flxible]

As if mostly hourly service and limited "peak" service (1/2 hr. frequencies) weren't bad enough, we may get cut back to all hourly. Read on:

http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/282388

There is a City Council meeting on the 28th at 7PM.  I plan to be there.  If anyone who reads this would like to come visit Roanoke and help me fight for bus service in my backyard, come on down.  We have Megabus and a Smart Way connector bus that can link you to VM and bring you straight to my hometown.

[metroman177]

WOW!!!! Thanks Fred for posting this. Cuts is never good especially when a company is starting to show progress or recovery. I agree they need to look for other ways besides cutting service. The three local Governments could if they would work together....that's a big "IF".  Wow cutting 14-18 drivers is unacceptable...keep us posted.

[Flxible]

Thanks Mark. I really hope some of your fellow drivers (also, some of our town's best and most sensible drivers) don't end up losing their JOBS over this outrage.    Any chance you could request leave and help us fight this thing?

Also, a let me clarify a brief excerpt of the article above:

"Something has to give, so there will be fewer routes during peak commuter hours and bus runs will be canceled that shuttle students into the city from Hollins University and Ferrum and Roanoke colleges."

First of all, there will be fewer routes during PEAK COMMUTER HOURS.  Excuse me?!?  Call me crazy here, but isn't that when mass transit is most needed?  Also, the "bus runs" for Ferrum and Roanoke Colleges are provided by cruddy little RADAR cutaways that only run once every two hours with limited stops.

[metroman177]

You're absolutely right, it's going push more people away from public transportation and create more problems, that's what you get when you look at things through a toilet paper tube. We need Bev back on city council....where is Super Bev .
Can't get off wish I could be there, but I might draft a letter and voice my opinion, for what it's worth.

[Flxible]

You're absolutely right, it's going push more people away from public transportation and create more problems, that's what you get when you look at things through a toilet paper tube. We need Bev back on city council....where is Super Bev .
Can't get off wish I could be there, but I might draft a letter and voice my opinion, for what it's worth.

Exactly.  And driver morale has already been down for a hot minute because of all the cuts and management changes.  This has resulted in cranky drivers, which is the LAST thing the public needs to see at the door if they already have a negative attitude towards public transit.  Add to that the reduced service factor, and NOBODY will want to ride a bus in Roanoke.  You're right, Mark...Council is looking at this through a toilet paper tube.  I like that.

I'm sure Bev is aware of the situation.  I'm going to make a petition, and I'm sure he'll sign it.  I'll also ask him to join us at the Council meeting.  I agree that we could use Mr. Fitzpatrick back in office- he was the only Councilman that cared about Valley Metro and did a lot to help them when he was in office.  (For example, he helped get service extended to 8:45 PM instead of it shutting down at 6:15, which was just lame.)  Unfortunately, I don't think we can convince him to run again....he encountered a lot of stress on the job, especially since he constantly had to deal with the other members who just didn't get it.  By all means, PLEASE write a letter.  We need any help you can offer back home.

[WayneNYC]

It's very unfortunate.  I'm convinced that this trent cannot continue.  Something eventually has to give...  Not to turn this into a political thread, but we have one group saying that the country needs all of these extreme cuts.  However, too many cuts can't be good for the economy either.

These seemingly endless cuts and higher fares will absolutely affect ridership negatively.  I thought the goal was to encourage more people to use mass transit.  However, this will simply push people back into their cars.

[Flxible]

Good news, everyone.  I went to speak before Roanoke City Council tonight concerning bus cuts, and Mayor David Bowers informed me that Valley Metro will retain 100% of its funding for the 2011-12 fiscal year.  Peak service will remain intact, and 16 drivers' jobs were saved.  With this having been said by Mr. Bowers about 10 seconds into my allotted time of 5 minutes to speak, I went on to remind Council of what an asset public transit is to our city, and went on to suggest ways of creating new revenues to make up for any potential funding loss, replacing the oldest batch of Gilligs with hybrids, etc.  After I spoke, Mayor Bowers informed me of an upcoming vacancy in the VM board and suggested that I would be a prime candidate to fill the spot. 

Overall, it was a good day for buses in Roanoke.

[metroman177]

That's great news Fred, we won the battle but, stay focused, the war may not be over...choppy waters maybe on the horizon.   

[Flxible]

Mark, I'm aware.  This calms the waters for the next year, but yet another budget years looms after this one...and I'll be ready to fight once again if any more potential cuts begin to surface.

[Flxible]

Here's the article:

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/283798