Notes from the new Committee to Support Metro
A new group was formed in June, following the news from our State Capitol that state funding for our Transit District (as well as all other transit districts in California) would be reduced to zero over the next two years. One effect of this new policy is to punch a big hole in our Transit District's capital budget, as described here, reducing that budget by some 73 percent.
Our first meeting on June 2 featured a slide show by our Transit District's General Manager Les White. Click here to view the slides. They provide a good summary of the facts of the situation.
In fact the State of California will rank dead last in the nation—50th—in terms of state support per capita for public transit.
Our aim is to help organize those in our community who depend on our bus system for getting around, as well as those who believe that it makes good sense for our state to support such transit.
Sixteen people attended our second meeting on June 23, representing a broad spectrum of interests and experience. Regular bus riders, Santa Cruz Metro employees and community activists were all present to discuss our mission and goals.
What you can do
- Attend our next meeting on July 15. (See below.)
- Help us plan our presentation at the Town Hall Meeting on July 30 with Assemblymember Bill Monning. This event will be held in Room 3 of the Louden Nelson Community Center, starting at 7:00 pm. Send a note to Rick Longinotti if you can help with this effort. In any case, please plan to attend this Town Hall meeting.
- If you're a bus rider, let the folks at our Transit District know that you appreciate the quality of service they provide, in spite of the difficult budget situation. To let them know, just click here.
Goals discussed included the following:
- To educate our community about the need for a robust public transit system, especially given that (a) Over one-third of our county's population rely on means other than the private automobile for transportation; (b) Issues related to global warming and peak oil mandate an effective public transit system; (c) The use of public transit stimulates sensible land use policies that discourage urban sprawl; (d) Nearly half of the county's population live at surprisingly high densities—over 6000 per square mile; and (e) The current ridership and return on fares rank our bus system among the top five in the nation for transit districts of less than 200,000 population.
- To urge our decision makers to advocate for policies that mandate State support for public transit, so that our Transit District is adequately funded.
- To organize networking with other nearby transit districts so as to enhance political support for public transit statewide.
We have yet to settle on an official name for our new group. Possibilties include “Santa Cruz Chapter of a National Transit Alliance”, “Transit Alliance of Santa Cruz County”, “Support Metro”, “Got Bus?” and “The Committee to Support Metro”.
The next meeting of the group will take place on
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Louden Nelson Community Center
301 Center Street, Santa Cruz.
The agenda will include (a) Planning for the scheduled Town Hall meeting on July 30 with Assemblymember Bill Monning, (b) Adopting a mission statement and goals, and (c) Choosing a name for the group. The meeting will be chaired by Rick Longinotti. Please plan to attend. All are invited.
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