Go Metro?

So, I was catching up on local news on Cincinnati.com, and I came across an opinion piece dealing with Metro service written by Krista Ramsey (for my non-Cincinnatians, Metro is the local public transportation service). (Here's a link to the article)

I felt that she makes some good points in advertising some of the good that Metro does in the community (the relationships with local colleges/universities, the fact that more than 20 major employers subsidize employees' bus passes or allow them to pay for the passes pre-tax, and being available to persons with disabilities).

However, I generally felt that her perspective was a little twisted. She holds the idea that if more people would ride Metro, then it would resolve the economic problems facing the bus system. I disagree with this perspective, for a few reasons-
1. Leadership in this area aren't overly concerned with transportation. This is evidenced in the fact that most of the board members of SORTA (the governing body of Metro) live in areas that aren't accessible by public transportation. As these people are drivers, they have no regard for the average Metro rider (working class, poor, students).
2. Metro routes are often inconvenient. In most cities, the buses travel to all the malls - not in Cincinnati. In most cities, there's plenty of east-west bus routes - not in Cincinnati (only 3, at best). In most cities, buses travel to the heavy employment areas - NOT IN CINCINNATI.
3. Metro continues to cut the length of routes while increasing fares. A year ago, they raised bus far $0.25, and raised transfers $0.25, while cutting routes by 20%. What does that look like? Well, I live on a main thorougfare here in Cincinnati, yet the bus only runs every 1/2 half on my street. Then, the bus used to go past a main shopping center on my side of town, but after this fare increase, they cut direct service to that shopping center. So, now I have to pay an extra 25-50 cents to walk up a hill a block to go to that shopping center.
4. I don't like the fact that my school is ten minutes from my home, yet I have to spend 45 minutes and catch two buses to get there. I don't like that I have to spend an hour and catch two buses to my job (which is 15 minutes away). I don't like that my church is 10 minutes away, and it takes two buses and an hour to get there. I don't like that the bus drivers allow these disrespectful, nasty teenagers get on the bus and eat, drink, blast that rap music, use all kinds of profanity, and roll up joints on the bus. I don't like these chicks that get on the bus with these supersized strollers and expect the bus driver (or someone else) to grab the stroller for them - girl, you need to at least ask somebody!!! I ain't the nigga that got you out here riding the bus with a baby!

 Basically, I'm not feeling Ms. Ramsey. Maybe if I lived Downtown, or OTR, or Clifton, maybe even Northside or Hyde Park, or even if I worked Downtown, my perspective on Metro would be better. However I'm not within two miles of Downtown, and I'm thinking that the 8-10 hours a week I'd save from driving is worth more than the 2-3 dollars I would save from riding Metro.. That's why I plan on leaving Metro alone as soon as this income tax check comes through.

These are just some thoughts... off the dome.