Public transit to start along Hwy. 90

Public transit to start along Hwy. 90

By Deborah Nelson
July 23, 2009

Santa Rosa commissioners voted 3-2, Monday, to approve a test public transit program between Santa Rosa and Escambia Counties.

The program is expected to cost Santa Rosa up to $33,140 per year, plus about $19,000 in “in-kind,” or personnel expenses from already-existing overhead.

The Pensacola Bay Transportation Company would operate the service. The company already runs Santa Rosa’s program for transportation disadvantaged riders. Currently, the service operates door-to-door.

About 10 percent of those trips are currently denied due to lack of funding, according to Company General Manager Latrisha Johnson.

“We’re denying trips for doctors’ appointments, we’re denying trips for working, we’re denying trips for single mothers who allow their teenagers to…use the service to get from school to home,” she remarked.

The new service is expected to offer three round-trips per weekday, using two 16 passenger buses, between 23 stops.

Fares are projected to cost a dollar per trip. Officials estimate about 17,000 passengers in the first year.

The Northwest Florida Transportation Planning Organization, which oversees area road and transportation issues, recently purchased the buses. No funding came from Santa Rosa, officials said.

The planned bus stops range along Hwy. 90, Hwy. 87 and the Berryhill Rd Medical Center, to the Nine Mile Road Target.

Transportation planners estimate the service would take two months to get up and running.

Proponents say they hope the program will help transportation disadvantaged citizens find and keep jobs.

Commissioner Don Salter, a former Workforce Escarosa board member, recalled that one of the biggest difficulties the agency has had in getting people off of welfare is getting them transportation.

“If people can’t afford transportation to get to their job, then they’re going to possibly be unemployed,” Salter remarked.

“And then we, as taxpayers get to take care of them at basically a full cost. Or, if we can help them get to work and get employment, we’ll get them off of full government subsidy or support, and allow them to go to work.

“I understand the financial crisis we’re in, but I’m not sure if we don’t help people seek employment, retain employment, it may have a more negative impact on our revenue than we currently have.”

The program will be a one year experiment, said commissioners. If the system is not self sustaining by that time, it may be ended.

“People say once you start it you’ll never stop it. Well that’s left up to us to stop it if it’s not working,” Salter noted.

“I don’t like any government subsidy going to this stuff,” Commissioner Gordon Goodin added. “But I also know for $33,000 or even $52,000, we couldn’t buy two vehicles to haul all these people around. So that may be a good return on our investment. If we’re reducing congestion or in lieu of other improvements we might make along the Hwy. 90 corridor.

“I think that after year one, if we don’t have substantial ridership, you’ll never have my vote again. I’m willing to put some seed money out there, I guess that’s the old farmer in me, to see if we can’t get something that’s greater value in return. So I’m saying there’s pressure here. If we don’t see some kind of return, we’ll not be planting this crop again.”

Pace resident Nancy Lore said she’s looking forward to having bus service.

“I would be a rider,” she remarked. “I do have a vehicle of my own but it’s a gas hog, and at this time I cannot afford to buy another vehicle. I would love to take my vehicle off the road and use this service to get to my job in Escambia County.”

“Also, the American Public Transportation Association states that for every dollar invested in public transportation there is a return of six dollars. It’s been mentioned that the ECAT system has never broke even and has never made a profit.

“Public transportation is a public service.

“It’s like a library, it’s like your public boat ramps, it’s like your public parks. It’s a service we provide to our community and to the people who live within our community.”

Commissioner Jim Williamson opposed the measure.

“I just don’t think we need to pursue it at this time with the budget crunch that we’re in,” he remarked. “Taxpayers voted for less government, and less government means less tax and less service. And I just don’t think now is the appropriate time to start this. Maybe one day it would be.”