Dear Editor,

Last week the head of the bus system called a meeting to discuss a solution to the crisis brought on by the federal government’s reduction of its financial aid. The bus system cannot meet its expenses and so the following alternatives were presented:

1.)    Cut  Saturday services;

2.)    Cut weekday services either morning or night;

3.)    Increase fares; or

4.)    A combination of the above.

Before the above alternatives are tried, I believe another possibility should be tried. This would be to establish a second hub downtown and use the routes which were used prior to 2006. According to the department’s own charts, the average ridership was 2,000 to 4,000 more a month than at present.

This plan is better than the plans given at the meeting because it takes little money to operate and it increases ridership. It increases ridership because it takes people where they want to go.

Riders of the buses and taxpayers concerned about the future of the bus system should let their views be known to Scott in the Engineering Department of City Hall.

— Pat Noda