Borough candidates weigh in on Fairbanks public transportation
Published Sunday, September 28, 2008
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Stumble It!Editor’s note: This is the fourth story in a series covering local elections. Look for more election coverage in the following days.
FAIRBANKS— The Fairbanks North Star Borough’s Transportation Department operates a public bus system with a half-dozen fixed routes and options for disabled and elderly riders.
With the rise of fuel costs and an influx in grant money in recent years, public officials have paid increasing attention to the bus system.
Early this month, the borough teamed with the University of Alaska Fairbanks to offer free rides for students, and the department set up a park-and-ride post on Farmers Loop as a pilot project.
With the borough also discussing the option of year-round park-and-ride sites outside of town, the nine-member Borough Assembly will have some choices to make regarding what the bus system should look like two or three years from now.
Four of the assembly’s nine seats are up for grabs Oct. 7. Tim Beck and Wayne Swanson are fighting for Seat E; Mark Ames, Joseph Blanchard and Joshua Lott are eyeing Seat H; and Tammie Wilson is running unopposed for a three-year term on Seat D. Those seats hold three-year terms, while Seat A, which is being sought by Bill Stringer, William Minerva and Doug Wilson, carries a one-year term.
Question
More people are riding the bus. Are you satisfied with the public transportation system? How might you change it?
Candidates’ responses
Assembly Seat A (1-year term)
• William Minerva: Since the least among us depend on the bus system, I support its functions. The only thing I would look into is if we could streamline it in any way, such as running smaller vans during low customer routes and times.
• Bill Stringer, incumbent: There has been increased interest in public transportation locally and increased willingness to fund public transportation in Washington. We should examine the potential ridership and the economics of an expanded transit system, possibly substituting vans for buses on some routes. We also could consider providing coordination of ride sharing by private individuals.
• Doug Wilson: I want to aggressively seek funding from the state and federal governments to help expand our transportation system. I know money is being made available because of the rising situation with the cost of fuel, and both governments are going to be encouraging mass transit.
Assembly Seat D (3-year term)
• Tammie Wilson: I believe the bus system has improved tremendously. I would like to see a more rider-friendly system: an interactive Web site and kiosks in which you could determine travel routes and times. There also needs to be better service to South Fairbanks. If done correctly, the system could pay for itself.
Assembly Seat E (3-year term)
• Tim Beck, incumbent: Higher energy costs are driving the need for improvement. Additional funding is needed to expand the system to the outlying communities in the Fairbanks North Star Borough: the Two Rivers, Salcha and Ester areas.
• Wayne Swanson: For the size of our community, we have a good public transportation system. Currently, the advertising being offered on the public transportation to local companies comes from an outside corporation and sales staff, taking part of that advertising revenue and giving it to outside investors that don’t spend a dime locally. This is not beneficial to our community.
Assembly Seat H (3-year term)
• Mark Ames: With the unprecedented cost of fuel, ridership may further increase, and I’m not satisfied with the current Fairbanks North Star Borough public transportation system because it does not yet serve Fox to the Elliott (Highway) juncture and back along the residentially filled Old Steese Highway.
• Joseph Blanchard: Having actually ridden the MACS transit system, I have a more hands-on perspective on what (it) is like to have to deal with the bus being delayed when it is 40 below outside. I am glad to see more people are riding the bus because this is an easy way for the borough to be involved in lowering energy costs through conservation.
• Joshua Lott: We do have some gaps in transportation coverage that need to be addressed. But, for what is provided, they do a very good job. They promote the bus system very well within the community.
Community Discussion
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With the exception of the yellow line, the busses are usually pretty full. I don't know about the daytime, but I've ridden red and blue at all hours of the evening and they are usually pretty ful.
It would make more sense to use fuel-efficient vans instead of large busses. As one of the candidates said, for bus lines and times that we have low ridership, these would be great substitutes. One problem that these vans would face is that if we were to expand the program by minimizing fuel cost and expanding the number of bus/vans availabile, the labor cost would increase. The average number of busses on the road at any given time right now might be about 6 or 7, but this would surely increase, if you had a dozen fuel efficient vehicles, would the cost of more drivers be necessarily justified by the fuel savings.
That said, it would certainly serve the public better. That said, to keep ridership high, what if something similar to the Anchorage "DART" was implemented. Dial-a-ride-transit. As much as I abhor their transit system being a rider several years back, I think the program is novel and present a greater opportunity for poeple to ride the bus. Their would be a fixed bus route, but if someone needed a pickup say 1/4 - 1/2 mile of the route, time could be alloted to pick them up, they'd simply call dispatch and ask for the ride. To ensure timeliness, they might also create some sort of neighborhood pickup points. People don't walk as far in the cold, andthe bus is able to run more efficiently than picking up at a doorstop.
There is a lot of talk recently about public transit because of enviornmental footprints and rising fuel costs but we can not look past the original reason for public transit, something that is still present, economic situations of some citizens and families in our community.
Sitting in on a lecture last year that talked about cyclical and situation poverty and they discussed how public transportation was identified a long time ago as a need for people to bridge past their economic situation by simply having necessary transportation.
Even if you dont like supporting what you may view as some sort of public assistance it is truely a step that is necessary to actually help some families get away from needing assistance at all.
That being said, the big buses are necessary on some routes just because different times of day might warrat it due to traffic. For the outer less utilized routes they should have smaller vans that are more fuel efficent. Eventually I would like to see some of the more modern electric rails (or something like that) for the core areas around Fairbanks, The University and even North Pole.
THE FOX RUN LINE......Where is it? When is it coming?
The busses are not empty. And there is a demand for the system - BUT it does need some improvements! What it needs is not that difficult to acheive. The key is to fix some of the issues brought up by current riders - as well as people in the public who WILL consider giving up driving their own cars for the bus. Even if just for the work commute.
New and correct schedules should be posted at all the stops - many of the stops currently look abondoned and are not well cared for - if there is a schedule it's old or no longer readable. Businesses who have holders for schedules need to be checked out from time to time as well - I have been to several places and asked for schedules - all to find that they are ancient.
I think the busses could run a little later at night - the rider qty might be smaller at first - but at some point when people know they can use that system to get around later - they will. Cabs make a killing here because of this... and I would much rather ride the bus than pay to be in a stinky cab.(are there ANY smoke free cabs in FBKS???)
To increase ridership - you promote. Do a little marketing, offer a FREE RIDE DAY - so people who have never been on the bus can try it out for free 1 day and see what it is like. I know many people in Fairbanks who have never been on a bus - maybe they would if they were to try it once. There are lots of ways to market the system - and it's not all exspensive. Also... another idea, in larger cities this is common - but employers who promote using the bus system can purchase passes at discounts for the employees who are willinig to ride the bus. In Denver they call them Eco-passes, and I worked for a company that started using this program and to my surprize MANY of the employees took advantage of it. No more paying to park, don't need to have change on you to ride the bus, no driving involved, and everyone is cutting down on the traffic by eliminating so many extra cars commuting to work carrying only 1 passenger. This could work in a small community driven place as well.
The most important thing for Fairbanks however is for the busses to run on schedule!! Esspecially in the winter - it's to cold out there some days to wait an extra 10 - 30 minutes for a bus to show up. Delays happen - I know, but for a transportation system, you need to be ready to respond to delays fast! Encourage the drivers to call in any delays - so other drivers are aware and can help inform waiting passengers of the delays. Public transportation is a vital tool for any growing community - it's not just people who don't want to drive who ride the bus, it's people who can not drive, elderly people who want to get around on their own, young people who do not drive yet, people who can not afford cars and gas, etc..... my point is the bus system is the only means of transportation to many people. We need it.
Maybe the question to ask is to what extent should the public taxpayers subsidize riders. Everyone out there that uses a vehicle has had to absorb large fuel cost no matter what income level or disability they may have. Why should bus riders not be responsible for the ever growing increases to their chosen form of transportation. If you want to grant low income status to riders for a cheaper ticket, let them apply and show proof of income. I do have a problem with the fact that the President of the University of Alaska with a $250,000 plus income and free housing gets to ride free on the taxpayers dime.
I agree with bus size..The ones I see at the Malls, etc. are empty.
Vans are more practical. Does the Borough not use a clicker or something to count the statistics?
I like the idea of bullet lightrail service between Delta/Eielson/North Pole/Fairbanks/Airport.
How many commuters between NP and Fairbanks?
It seems the Borough would have statistics on this..i.e. growth, military, etc.
I'd support something of that nature...
The bus system will add on some ways to be more efficient, but will keep the present transportation sytem up and running but it's always good to wish. The talk about providing disabled people with better service should get better access, also should have access ways on the bus. For instants when I road on the bus, (purple route) a lady was on that bus who was handicapped on a wheelchair and was getting off the bus and fell off her chair. Took some effort to get her back in the chair. the problem was where the bus stopped had no access for handicapped people to depart safely. The transportation system needs to get the kinks out of their system also have the driver bring the handicap person out. For the good of the transportation system. Thanks
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