Topeka Transit: What is the long term solution?

As I am sure many of you have seen in the news recently, Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority Board is both asking the city for a mill levy increase, as well as cutting Sunday & evening service (http://cjonline.com/news/local/2009-06-16/cuts_in_transit_service_nearing).  I am happy to see the City Council limited the mill levy increase to only one year, but I do not see the TMTA board coming up with long term solutions, so they are not back next year looking for more money again.  A city the size of Topeka should have a public transportation system, but it should also not cosume huge amounts of tax dollars.  At this point to come to a long term solution, it seems the entire operations of the TMTA need to be reviewed.  Could not a combination of smaller buses, more efficient routes, and some cuts in service balance out the needs of the bus users, as well as the money needed to operate.  I have not gotten the sense that hte TMTA has gotten creative and truly looked at all of the problems they have and options for solving them.  I have spent my entire professional career working in the private sector for mostly private sector clients.  When we or clients have projects or operations that do not fit within our budgets, just getting more money is almost always not an option.  We have to look at changing the way we are doing things and sometimes the right solution starts out looking like the wrong one, until it is fully researched and explored.  I challenge the TMTA to truly look at all options that may be out there. 

I would encourage all of you to contact the TMTA Board (Board members: Neta Jeffus, Jack Alexander, Jim Daniel, Pat Hubbell and Andy Sanchez) at board@topekatransit.com or 233-2011, ext 118 with your thoughts and/or expectations the bus system in Topeka.

Last 5 posts in City Government

  • Something needs to be done, I've yet to see a full bus anywhere in town. I've only looked off of Wanamaker and Topeka Blvd, but I'd say the most I've seen on a buss at any given time is 5..

    Wasteful indeed
  • It's hard for an organization to make cuts when you've been working with fixed sources of income for more than a decade. The TMTA lost a federal grant for Sunday and evening routes. They've been working with the same amount from the mill levy since 1994. I think it's fair and good to raise the mill levy to support an organization that serves 8,000 Topekans a day (which, by the way, is more than city-supported fire and police departments ever have, combined). I rode a full bus at 12:15 today. Wouldn't broader support and ridership of public transit transform Topeka?
  • callie
    what kinds of long term multiple use tickets are there? is there a way for the tmta to generate a more solid expectation of necessary bus lines and where to focus their time and energy by tracking the routes that daily repeat users need and want? would marketing this type of ticket help the tmta with up-front revenue?

    i don't use the bus, generally because it has a terrible reputation for being inconvenient and unreliable. there are bus stops very near my house and i would love to live in a community where bus schedules were solid and the transit system was easy to use. i don't feel that way about it now/yet. i don't even know where to get a bus schedule or a map. i definitely don't want to stake my time and my hydration level on a day this hot hoping that the bus will be there nearly on-time. if the tmta can convince me that they are dependable, i would love to ride the bus.
  • gwenda
    Karl - I do think that public transit is a good & necessary thing for Topeka to have. I am glad to hear that you were on a full bus today, and obviously at that time & that route, they need the large buses, but like Brandon, I can't remember the last time I saw a full bus. Mostly I see the ones along Wanamaker because that is where I work. At least in some areas, the large buses do not seem to be necessary Looking at how to make an organization more efficient can never be a bad thing & in times like these when many peoples budgets are already strained, I think it is the responsible thing to look at what can be done to save money and then go to the taxpayers if more is still needed.
  • Ryan
    The question should be, "What are we doing to prevent this from happening in the future?" Those who are supporting need to ask the same question.

    We must get away from the idea, to always raise taxes when we are in a fiscal crunch. I would like to ask, the head of the Topeka Transit Authority to volunteer to reduce their salary in order to help meet the TTA budget, if they have not already. Their are plenty of organizations and taxes, homeowners support. It would be interesting to know how many people who are want to raise the mill levy are homeowners?

    Finally, the bus does not get support because the bus is not convenient for the majority of people. Furthermore, why should they ride the bus, if they don't want to. People need to have the choice and not be forced into doing this or doing that.
  • Matt
    As a proponent of a better community, I support public transportation.

    However, I think very few people understand exactly what TMTA is spending its money on, and we get for that expenditure. I have personally looked at the data and I have several opinions. So, I would encourage everyone to do the same before claiming that the sky is falling.

    TMTA should prove to the taxpayers that its routes, buses, and operations are in-line with other EFFICIENT and comparable cities. This has not yet been done publicly.

    Last, I'd like to point out that Sunday service is not always offered EVERYWHERE, all of the time. Neither is evening service. Somehow those cities survive. Bizarre!
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