Jilting cars for buses

Aversion to public transportation in Johnson County has been knocked into a cocked hat – by $3 to $4-plus a gallon gasoline. Else why would so many buses on routes to downtown Kansas City, Mo., and other points have SRO ridership? A recent news story in The Sun on The Jo’s overcrowded buses was an eye-opener.

The shifting mind-set of more and more Johnson Countians should not be lost on public officials who allocate funds at the city, county, state and federal levels. Based on trends of recent months, our transportation system needs more buses.

That means additional funding. The county commission is a key agency for transportation services and should take the lead to provide it.

We car-loving Johnson Countians have resisted buses for years, along with much of the rest of the country. Now we are vulnerable to high-priced gas and the consequences of market and international conditions that are beyond our control. Emerging nations with fast-growing economies, such as China and India, have forced demand beyond supply.

We rely on petroleum from some countries that have little use for us and our way of life.

That is why it is important for policymakers to be receptive to alternatives to the car.

Right now the budget for the Johnson County transit system is about $11 million, said Chuck Ferguson, deputy transportation director of Johnson County Transit. Most of it is financed by the county ($4.6 million), the federal government ($2.5 million) and the state ($1.9 million).

Fares produce $630,000. Ferguson said that is about 15 percent of the budget for fixed routes, slightly higher than the 13 percent that is the norm for suburban areas. Our fare box revenue does not appear to be out of line.

Help is on the way for passengers who have to stand during their rides. Ferguson said one reactivated 1993 model that has been out of service will be put into use this year. Four were fixed up last year.

The large number of new buses that are needed will take longer. Ferguson said the agency will submit a proposal to the county commission in a few weeks seeking the purchase of 11 40-foot buses. Five of them could be purchased with existing federal, state and county matching funds and be available in about a year. The rest, if approved, could be delivered in about 18 months.

One alternative, referred to as the I-35 corridor rail plan, has been discussed for years. It is out. A special advisory group assisting Johnson County Transit concluded in March that ridership estimates were too low for the project’s cost.

The group opted for bus rapid transit on the shoulders of I-35 between Olathe and Kansas City. Ferguson said the shoulders could be developed so that buses in the interstate lanes could pull onto the shoulders in congested traffic. The idea is being considered.

Johnson Countians are voting with their feet for public transit. Public officials should be ahead, not behind them.