Rochester New York Lowers Bus Fares, Is a Striking Contrast to Transit Policy in Southeastern Wisconsin

When Milwaukee County raises it’s fares and cuts bus routes, it’s no surprise that despite the high price of gasoline and increasing ridership across the Country, Milwaukee County transit continues to lag behind the rest of the Country in terms of ridership.

Rochester New York is actually going the opposite route of Milwaukee: They’re cutting fares on buses which in turn is increasing ridership.

At a time when public transportation systems around the country are struggling with soaring fuel costs and pinched budgets, the bus system in Rochester has done something that few others would contemplate: This month, it lowered its single-ride fare.

The Rochester system, which expects to run a surplus for the third year in a row, has been able to reduce its one-ride fare in part by eliminating some low-trafficked routes, avoiding debt and aggressively raising revenues from other sources. The fare fell to $1 from $1.25 on Sept. 1. NY Times

I’ve been saying for years that the goal of County Executive Scott Walker and his buddies on right-wing talk radio is to kill off the Milwaukee County Transit System and mass transit in general in Southeastern Wisconsin. That’s why despite national trends bus fares were raised and routes were cut.

I have mixed feelings about what’s happening in place like Rochester. On one hand, it’s encouraging that a small city like Rochester is having success by providing good service at low rates to it’s riders. On the other, it’s disappointing my city continues to fall behind the rest of the Country due to a deliberate plan by some of our elected officials to destroy mass transit, and reluctance on the part of others to do anything to stop that plan.

4 Comments

• 

  By Sean, September 15, 2008 @ 12:46 pm

  I am going to speak only to the bus situation and not mass transit as a whole; I’ve said, for a long time, that city, county and state government should work hand in hand, on many issues, with private business. As I read this article I saw that the Rochester Transit Authority worked with colleges, local developers/land owners, and the like to help subsidize the bus routes. That along with a big chuck of help from the state, and “eliminating some low-trafficked routes” (which Milwaukee has done, and been chastised for it), Rochester has been able to obtain a surplus. I laud those relationships, and if companies like NML, Harley, and others would like to do that, I am all in favor! If, through proper analysis and bidding processes, MPS and other outlying public and private HS’s and colleges, determine that helping pay for Milwaukee transit is cheaper, and more effective for them, again I am all in favor!

  Problem is Milwaukee, historically, doesn’t like mixing private business with government business (why I don’t know), so we will continue to have the debate, because the only way for Milwaukee to lower rates is to increase taxes somewhere, somehow, and that’s just not acceptable.
• 

  By capper, September 15, 2008 @ 10:06 pm

  Sean,

  The current system is a public entity operated by a private company. That cuts into the service because you’re adding a whole new layer of administration, with the exception that the new layer is only interested in profit margins.
• 

  By Smitty, September 16, 2008 @ 7:33 pm

  Part of the reason Milwaukee bus service continues to languish is the high crime rate on the buses. Until bus safety is improved, people are going to do everything possible to avoid riding the bus. Scott Walker and “right wing talk radio” won’t kill bus service in Milwaukee County—the criminals will.

  This Journal article gives a hint at the problem:

  http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=794919

  Privately, bus dirvers will tell you the crime rate, the physical assaults and the verbal abuse are much higher than the politicians will admit.
• 

  By Jason Haas, September 23, 2008 @ 2:09 am

  Do you often find yourself talking to bus drivers, or politicians?

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