Agencies ask: What does public want from YCAT

Source: The Sun, Yuma, Ariz.文件倉Sept. 06--Would you support a local sales tax increase to pay for improved public bus services, even if you don't ride the bus?Should the Yuma County Area Transit (YCAT) bus system serve only areas with large ridership and cut routes in other neighborhoods, although some people might really need it? Or should it be accessible to everyone, even if it means lower overall ridership?An effort to learn what citizens want from a public bus system, whether they ride the bus or not, kicked off this week.The Yuma County Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (YCIPTA), which operates YCAT, and the Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization (YMPO), the regional transportation planning agency, hosted workshops in San Luis and Yuma to gather input from bus riders and community members.The agencies want to know what residents feel are the most important existing and future transit needs.With the help of the consulting firm PublicTransit.US, the input will be incorporated into a Short Range Transit Plan."The SRTP is like a business plan for transit. It lays out five-year points for finances and capital plans for services it will provide," said Michael Setty, consulting firm principal.The plan will also tell government agencies that hand out grants, such as the Federal Transit Administration, "that they have a logical program in place, they're meeting all the rules, and they have a coherent plan for doing whatever they're doing," Setty explained.However, he added, the "biggest thing we're trying to do" is get citizens, especially those who don't ride the bus, to take an online survey about their opinions on bus services, priorities, current needs and unfulfilled services.The agencies also want to know people's opinion on a "hot button issue" -- a possible tax increase to fund public bus services."Are they willing to pay a tax even if they don't ride the bus, if 存倉t benefits seniors and people who can't drive a car for whatever reason and it gets kids to and from Arizona Western College?"Our goal is not to tell you what you think you might need. You really need to tell us what you want," Setty said.YCIPTA has been considering asking voters to approve a one-tenth of a percent transit sales tax.Currently, funding is solely dependent on the ability of YCIPTA members to contribute, which can result in radical service changes from year to year."We need funding sources to replace member agency contributions," Transit Director John Andoh said earlier this year.Currently, fares directly paid by bus riders and student fees cover about 40-60 percent of operating costs on the busiest YCAT routes.On other less traveled routes and YCAT's OnCall dial-a-ride system for seniors and persons with disabilities, fares paid by riders typically cover 5-20 percent of the total operating costs.Survey takers will be asked how much of operating costs they believe fares should cover, among other issues.For most people the online survey takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. It is available through the first week of October at .surveymonkey.com/s/S2TNV29 or through the news page at .ycipta.org.In addition to the online survey, passengers riding buses and waiting at YCAT bus stops will be surveyed at selected times during September.The consultant will discuss the study with the YCIPTA board of directors at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at Aldrich Hall, 2351 W. 26th St.The goal is to have the draft ready for staff review at the end of October and to present the final plan by the end of the year, with possible board adoption by Dec. 31.For more information about the workshops, transit plan and route changes, visit .ycipta.org or call 928-783-2235.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Sun (Yuma, Ariz.) Visit The Sun (Yuma, Ariz.) at .yumasun.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉