1982-02-01(II) - Laserfiche WebLink

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AREA TO DOWNTOWN IS CONVENIENT. HE URGED THAT COUNCIL GIVE SERIOUS THOUGHT BEFORE VOTING FOR A CUTBACK FROM HOURLY TO HALF-HOURLY SERVICE. ~ARY UPDIKE OF ROSE HILL DRIVE', READ: A STATEMENT FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, URGING- CONSIDERAT.ION OF ,t CAPTIVE RIDERSt' ; THE POOR, ELDERLY AMD HANDICAPPED RIDERS. DAVID. NORMANCELL ADDRESSED COUNCI~ ENDORSING THE NEW BUSES AS A GREAT ATTRACTION. HE STATED THAT THE BASIC PROBLEM WITH THE OLD BUSES WAS THAT THE BUSES W3RE NOT ON TIME. KAY PEASLEE OF THE CHARLOTTESVILLE OBSERVER, SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF A GOOD PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM. SHE SAID-THAT EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM. SHE ALSO QUESTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF COMBINING THE SCHOOL BUS SYSTEM AND THE CITY BUS SYSTEM. HAROLD KEITH COMMENTED THAT THE FOUR DIFFERENT BUS SYSTEMS NOW EXIST IN THE CITY. HE QUESTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF COMBINING SOME OF THE SERVICES NOW BEING DUPLICATED. THERE BEING NO FURTHER COMMENT FROM THE PUBLIC, MAYOR BUCK CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING. ~4AYOR BUCK ASKED MR. 0~CONNELL TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION RAISED OF COMBINING THE SCHOOL AND TRANSIT SYSTEMS. ~R. 0'CONNELL STATED THAT THE PRESENT SYSTEM WITH SEPARATE SCHOOL AND CITY BUSES IS MOST ECONOMICAL, BUT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WOULD LIKE TO FURTHER EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES, ~4R. 0~CONNELL INDICATED EIGHT TO NINE MONTHS LEAD TIME WOULD BE NEEDED IN MAKING CHANGES ALONG THOSE LINES AND THAT UNLESS CHANGES ARE MADE IN THE TRANSIT SYSTEM BY NEXT MONTH, THE CITY WILL EXPERIENCE A SHORTFALL OF $30,000.00. ~R. ALBRO STATED THAT THE NEW BUSES MAY ATTRACT NEW RIDERSHIP AND HE WOULD NOT LIKE TO SEE THE SYSTEM CUT IF THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF MAINTAINING SOME OF THE ROUTES. MR. HENDRIX, CITY MANAGER, STATED THAT $350,000,00 HAS BEEN DE- TERMINED AS THE CITY SUBSIDY OF THE TRANSIT SYSTEM AND THAT FOR EVERY DOLLAR SPEN~ BEYOND THAT AMOUNT ANOTHER PERSON IS LA'ID OFF OR A PROGRAM REDUCED. HE STATED THAT AS MUCH AS HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SERVICE CONTINUE AS IT IS'y THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO WARRANT MUCH ~ORE THAN KEEPING ~HE BASIC SYSTEM IN OPERATION. HE STATED THAT THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PUT INTO SUBSIDY WITHOUT HURTING OTHER PROGRAMS. MR. CONOVER MOVED TO ADOPT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION OF ALTERNATIVE FOUR. HE ALSO REQUESTED THAT THE STAFF TRY TO SAMPLE RIDERSHIP MORE EXTENSIVELY IN THE FUTURE, INDICATING HE IS CURIOUS TO SEE WHO IS BEING I~PACTED ON INDIVIDUAL ROUTES MORESO THAN CITY-WIDE, MR. ALBRO SECONDED THE ~OTION. COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED THE STAFF PROPOSAL TO l) REBUCE THE 30 ~INUTE COMMUTER PERIOD FREQUENCY TO A ONE HOUR FREQUENCY ALL DAY, CURTAIL THE HOURS OF EVENING SERVICE BY ONE HOUR TO 6:30 PM; AND RETURN ROUTE 2 (LOCUST AVENUE-BARRACKS ROAD SHOPPING CE'NTER) AND ROUTE 4 (FRY'S SPRING-.CHERRY AVENUE) TO THEIR 1979 ROUTE STRUCTURE, 2) ELIMINATE TRUNK ROUTE (ROUTE 8 FROM DOWNTOWN TO K-~ART) AND 3) ELIMINATE THE EXISTING GREENBRIER ROUTES AND REPLACE WITH ONE GREENBRIER-MEADOWS ROUTE.