Bus service cut, but route added

VanGO budget woes mean fewer trips for disabled

Friday, Oct. 10, 2008

On Friday, the county commissioners held the ribbon cutting for a new VanGO public bus route through downtown Waldorf. On Tuesday, the commissioners reluctantly agreed to make cuts to the VanGO system's operations and pump county savings into the program to keep it in the black.

The new Business Loop 3 opened Friday morning, and, according to transportation division Chief Lisa Quill, the route will increase bus stops at popular locations on the business loop from every half hour to every 15 minutes.

However, on Tuesday the commissioners introduced four new operations holidays and reduced the number of buses running custom scheduled trips for disabled riders from 14 to nine. They also pumped $129,000 of the county's $200,000 contingency fund into the system to balance the books.

Tuesday's actions were designed to head off a growing budget hole caused by increasing fuel prices.

The new holidays are expected to impact the county's low-wage workers who must still report to work on holidays. The reduction in para-transit buses will force disabled citizens to schedule doctor appointments and shopping trips on only three days a week.

"We would really be dictating to them when they would have to schedule an appointment," Quill said.

Commissioner Gary V. Hodge (D) moved to approve the cuts and additional funding.

"Everyone knows that we're heading into difficult financial times," Hodge said, referring to pending state transportation cuts.

He said the VanGO cuts would affect the county's vulnerable low-income community.

"We really have an obligation to do what we can to service this community."

"I appreciate your commitment to public transit, and I'm sure our riders will appreciate that as well," Comfort told the commissioners.

And on Wednesday, Comfort passionately lobbied officials from the state transportation department to avoid cutting funding for local transit at the county's annual meeting with state transportation officials.

"That is not welcome," Comfort said of proposed transit cuts. He told the officials about the commissioners' attempts to maintain the county's level of service. "Any additional cuts from the state will probably result in dramatic cuts in service. … We've taken a hit, and we've squeezed out all the efficiencies."

Maryland Deputy Transportation Secretary Beverley K. Swaim-Staley replied that the Maryland Transit Administration is trying not to cut local transit funding.

jfriess@somdnews.com