There are many good reasons for communities to invest in public transportation. Doing so gives those who cannot drive a viable means of transportation, as well as alleviates parking challenges in congested areas, and reduces the number of cars on the road – thereby reducing vehicle emissions. Durango is no exception to these benefits, and by ensuring that the city’s transit services will not be reduced because of a budget shortfall, the Durango City Council has prioritized a critical public service. It was the right move that will benefit many residents, visitors,and the community as a whole.
It was also a recognition of the reality facing public transportation nationwide – something future city budgets must acknowledge and plan for: Public transit almost always requires public investment. The good news for the city of Durango is that the transportation service fund – which pays for the trolley, loop and opportunity buses, among other city services – has plenty of money in it; certainly enough to cover the deficit between what the bus service generates and what it costs to run. In total, the city’s transportation budget, which covers parking as well as bus service, is projected to bring in $3.58 million in 2016 while costing the city $3.95 million. The fund has a $1.5 million working capital fund, though, which can offset the projected transit deficit. The City Council decided last week that the investment was worth making for 2016.
Rather than cut bus service to offset the shortfall, councilors asked Transportation & Sustainability Director Amber Blake to seek other funding sources to backfill the transit budget. That was an important investment for the city to make, and suggests that providing public transit to the city’s most vulnerable populations – those without cars of their own, or those with impediments to driving – as well as easing the parking congestion burden, while taking a small bite out of automobile pollution, is in line with the city’s philosophy “to strive to offer great facilities and services that meet our residents’ and visitors’ needs. We are dedicated to promoting a sustainable economic viability while we responsibly steward our community’s resources.”
While Blake may find some revenue sources – some options include grants, investments from employers who want to encourage ridership among their workers or other contract for services – the city should also accustom itself to the very likely reality that it will have to subsidize transit services for the long term. When the city imposed its $1 fare for trolley rides, there were high hopes for the bottom line, with $259,000 budget revenue for the trolley in 2015; the city now estimates that figure to be roughly $60,000 by year’s end. While there are many theories for the drop in ridership that the fare has manifested, the reality is that fewer people can afford to ride the trolley, and so fewer people do. That does not mean that fewer people need the service, nor does it mean that the other benefits diminish.
The City Council made a strong statement for community by agreeing to pay to offset transit shortfalls in 2016. Councilors should redouble that commitment by calling for long-term investment in this critical public service – in 2016 and well beyond.
