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Maureen Powers
WCCTA Board Member Chair
Originally published Saturday, January 10, 2009, by the Oakland Tribune
Posted here on January 21, 2009
Comment - The people must speak up for transit
MOBILITY -- The ability of citizens to move about the communities in which they live and work -- is fundamental to the functioning of society.
Janis Mara's excellent piece "Transit rode high through '08" reflects the rapidly growing acceptance of public transportation as a preferred alternative to cars and pointed out that, happily, financing is on the way to assist in improving transit throughout the Bay Area.
However, two additional points must be made in these tough economic times.
First, some local operators, such as WestCAT, do not have the option of asking the public for more financial support through bond or other measures. In these tough times, a joint powers authority such as ours can only increase fares and decrease service to make ends meet and keep our bus service on the street.
On Thursday, the WestCAT Board expects to be forced to vote on a plan that will put into effect our second round of increases and cuts since the beginning of the fiscal crisis. Otherwise, we cannot make ends meet.
Second, the fiscal crisis that we and other operators face is directly due to the transfer of funds originally designated for transit into other areas of state government. While these areas surely need help, it is just as surely a false economic step to reduce citizens' means of getting to work and school at a time when society itself is rebelling against our current means -- both for economic and environmental reasons.
So while the future of transit does indeed look good -- a development we can all become excited about -- deep concern exists for whether bus systems like WestCAT can survive until that future arrives.
If you live in the communities we serve: from Crockett to Hercules to Pinole and Tara Hills, including our new Lynx service to San Francisco, and feel as strongly as I do about supporting public
transit, I urge you to write to your state representatives today. Tell them that without the means to get to school and work and businesses the economy will suffer even more.
Better yet, tell them why you personally are riding public transit more. West Contra Costa needs to be heard on this issue.
Maureen Powers is chair of the Western Contra Costa Transit Authority board of directors.
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