Last Chance to Help Save Community Ride On Bus 36!
The West Bradley Citizens’ Association has asked the County government to keep Ride On Bus 36 since that was the overwhelming choice of those who responded to our recent alert about the proposed elimination of this service. On behalf of WBCA, Board president Sandy Vogelgesang has called relevant County offices and sent letters and emails to the County Department of Transportation, the Bethesda Chevy Chase Regional Services Center and Roger Berliner, who is our County Council representative and a member of the Council committee dealing with transportation issues. See below for response from Mr. Berliner.
As Mr. Berliner’s letter reflects, this budget decision will boil down to making some tough choices. One key factor in this local election year will be public opinion. Thus, those of you who have not already sent a communication and feel strongly on this issue, do so NOW since the deadline for written comments is 5 PM tomorrow, Jan. 29. Given the timing, send an email. You should include your name, address, and phone number; your position on the Ride On issue; and the reason for your position. Most neighbors have stressed such factors as the need to keep our community’s only public transportation link to the Metro; the environmental importance of having an alternative to driving cars; and the range of our citizens served by the bus, from students to seniors. Best bet is to send one email to Mr. Berliner with a copy to MCDOT as follows:
*Â Councilmember.Berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov
* Â mcdot.rideonpublicforums@montgomerycountymd.gov
Finally, although the deadline for signing up to speak at the public forum has passed, you can still attend the forum on Monday, Feb. 1, noted in the letter below.
RESPONSE FROM COUNCILMEMBER BERLINER TO LETTER FROM WBCA
Dear Sandy:
Thank you for your email regarding the proposed service changes and potential reductions to the Ride On bus service. I have taken the liberty of sharing your message with the County Executive, who has proposed this reduction. You and other members of the public have an opportunity to make your views known at a public forum that has been scheduled for February 1 at 6:30 pm at the Executive Office Building Cafeteria, Terrace Level at 101 Monroe Street in Rockville. More information is available at:
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/dot/transit/NEWS/2010_02_01_PublicForum.pdf
Like you, I am opposed to reducing Ride On bus service. I believe bus service is a core government function, particularly for those people that have no alternative. But beyond the equities, transit is essential to our quality of life which is most threatened by unacceptable congestion on our roads. If we are ever to get people out of their cars in larger numbers, and gain the environmental and other benefits associated with fewer vehicle miles traveled, it will be because we have a first class transit system. Reducing Ride is flatly inconsistent with those goals. Having said that, I recognize that significant cuts in government services will be required if we are to balance our budget in this difficult economic time. That means that other difficult choices will have to be made as to where to find the approximately $1 million in savings that would have been achieved by reducing Ride On can come from. That is what I am working on now.
I can not predict how my colleagues will vote on this issue, but know that I am doing what I can to restore these dollars and the Ride-On services so important to you and to our community.
Thank you again for contacting me.
Roger Berliner
Councilmember, District 1
