Recent bus service changes have been painful for some, but they
will increase efficiency and help VTA continue to make much needed
improvement
From eye-catching small community buses driving around our streets to recently decreased bus fares, to overhauling every bus route, to express bus service next year, there’s definitely change happening at the Valley Transportation Authority and it’s refreshing.
Since July, the agency, under the leadership of VTA General Manager Michael Burns, seems to be trying to respond to growing public criticism in the face of years of financial and organizational mismanagement.
Changes have been made in bus service to South County. We welcome being the first area in the region to test out VTA’s community bus program.
That community bus program, which will be rolled out to the rest of the region in January, began servicing our area July 2 with community bus lines 15 and 16 in Morgan Hill and community bus lines 14, 17, 18 and 19 in Gilroy. Beginning Jan. 14, 2008, Morgan Hill and Gilroy will enjoy new express bus service line 168, running parallel to line 68, saving 30-minute travel time from Gilroy to downtown San Jose. That line will utilize high-occupancy-vehicle lanes on U.S. 101 and highways 85 and 87 and make a connection with light rail on Santa Clara and First streets ending at the Diridon Transit Center. Bus line 68 continues to serve both cities, as it’s a core route taking South County passengers to San Jose.
In July, 50-cent fares were set for youth, seniors and people with disabilities and $1-fare was set for adults for the community bus program. The VTA board also reduced fares beginning Sept. 1 for all day senior/disabled and youth monthly passes and day youth, senior/disabled monthly passes. Monthly passes have also decreased for youth, seniors and people with disabilities and adult-day passes, express-day passes, youth-day passes and day passes for seniors and people with disabilities have also been reduced, with the exception of the adult monthly pass.
The agency needs to continue to make changes to fix a projected $2.8 billion deficit for the next three decades.
Sweeping bus route alterations were made last month. VTA made the changes after conducting an 18-month study to improve efficiency in its bus services. After 90 days to respond and more than 800 comments, the new service plan incorporates many public suggestions but understandably not all of them. VTA officials say it restructures bus operations to increase service frequency on core routes used by most riders and reduces travel times for most. The VTA hopes the new plan will entice former riders to return to VTA, attract new passengers and increase its ability to cover costs incurred by fare expenses.
New goals to also have 33 boardings an hour on regular buses, 60 percent of seats filled on express buses and boardings of 20 passengers per hour on community buses are also great, but how will the agency enforce this or track progress?
The new service changes have been painful for some people but point to the greater good accomplished by increasing efficiency. However, much more remains to be done.
