I spent a half-hour at American River College this afternoon getting my Spring sticker on my student ID. For the sum of $10, I get $500 worth of unlimited rides on Sacramento Regional Transit over the next five months. Even if you add in the $140 for two classes and the $1 for "student representation," the $151 I paid is an obvious bargain.
This brings me back to my post in August, when I purchased my Fall sticker. I marveled then, as I do today, about what having "free" transit means for me. Yes, I'd probably still ride if I had to pay the full fare, but not nearly as often.
Everyone pays for parks. Everyone pays for libraries. Everyone pays for public schools. Why isn't transit viewed as a public service in the same way?
Today, RT takes in something on the order of $2.6 million a month in fares. (At least that was what they brought in before the fare hikes went into effect this month.) That's less than $2 per person in the RT service area.
Would it really be so difficult to pay $2 a month to provide a free public transit system that everyone would benefit from? RT could use the savings from not having to sell tickets or collect fares to expand its services.
I wonder,should we be amused or frightened by this interesting bit of news?
ReplyDeleteI like the concept of IOUs for legislators. But it isn't going to help. It certainly isn't going to be good for transit or RT in particular.
ReplyDeleteThe two-thirds requirement for raising taxes in California gives control of government to a minority of legislators. It is undemocratic. It is poisonous. But too many people benefit. Too many see only what's in it for themselves.
It would take a miracle of enlightenment to cure this self-interested myopia. Are there any miracle workers alive today?