Mahoning Valley Forum

Youngstown & The Mahoning Valley => Mass Transit => Topic started by: northside lurker on October 14, 2012, 09:43:08 AM

Title: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: northside lurker on October 14, 2012, 09:43:08 AM
http://www.vindy.com/news/2012/oct/14/cuts-loom-if-voters-reject-bus-levy-wrta/#c208798

If the levy fails, I wonder if the WRTA will try to switch back to a city funded service?
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: irishbobcat on October 14, 2012, 09:45:10 AM
We need the WRTA. The poor and people with disabilities need transportation.
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: jay on October 15, 2012, 05:20:44 AM
The last levy in 2008 passed with 55% of the vote.
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: irishbobcat on October 15, 2012, 08:18:19 AM
Shouldn't all this fracking money that is coming into the county and making us all super rich help pay for WRTA? Since everyone is getting rich off of mineral rights, I am sure voters then have extra money to
support bus service.... :laugh:

Besides, this levy is a renewal...no new taxes....
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: iwasthere on October 15, 2012, 09:58:02 AM
if the levy fails, i will be force to buy a car.
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: irishbobcat on October 15, 2012, 01:29:01 PM
If you're forced to buy a car, somebody will be forced to steal it... :laugh:
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: Rushblvd on October 15, 2012, 01:47:38 PM
Need a WRTA sign for my yard please--Where do I get it-or can someone put in my yard please?
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: iwasthere on October 15, 2012, 03:15:14 PM
Quote from: irishbobcat on October 15, 2012, 01:29:01 PM
If you're forced to buy a car, somebody will be forced to steal it... :laugh:
not if i have my dragon, minnie and mickey, turkey and my other stuff animals guarding it.
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: Rick Rowlands on October 15, 2012, 07:23:08 PM
The best use for signing bonuses is not to blow it driving around half empty buses, but to spend it on big projects that otherwise could not be funded.  Youngstown wants to use theirs in addressing the backlog of houses that need demolished and Campbell wants to use theirs for infrastructure projects.    As for WRTA, riders need to pony up the true cost of their bus rides.  The previous Youngstown Municipal Railways was a for profit company and paid the city for a franchise to operate on city streets.  I think we need to get back to that business model.
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: northside lurker on October 15, 2012, 07:58:49 PM
I agree, the privately run model is a great idea.  But it won't work as long as the government continues to subsidize roads so much.  Either the gov't should subsidize infrastructure, or it shouldn't.  It can't pick winners, and not expect losers.
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: iwasthere on October 15, 2012, 08:11:29 PM
the cost is shared by everyone though a sale tax. there are people who are gainfully employed use the wrta as thier transportation mode for various reasons.
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: jay on October 15, 2012, 08:44:39 PM
If you want to help the levy campaign, come to the Friends of Transit spaghetti dinner.

If you can not attend, buy one or more tickets and give them to your friends.

Friends of Transit Spaghetti Dinner

Sunday, October 28
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

- Location -
Basement Hall
St. Patrick Church
Oak Hill Avenue
Youngstown, Ohio
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: irishbobcat on October 15, 2012, 10:06:54 PM
If the poor could pony up for the true costs of operating the bus, they would own a car.....Stop and think once in awhile, Ricky....
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: Why?Town on October 16, 2012, 05:41:26 PM
Quote from: irishbobcat on October 15, 2012, 10:06:54 PM
If the poor could pony up for the true costs of operating the bus, they would own a car.....Stop and think once in awhile, Ricky....

The Vindy article said the levy income accounts for 70% of the budget. Would people quit riding the bus at $3 a trip?

The true cost of operating the bus DIVIDED by all riders would hardly equal the price of a car for each.
Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: Rick Rowlands on October 16, 2012, 08:30:55 PM
Westsider, I don't understand your comment about govt. not subsidizing roads.  That is actually one of the few things that govt. does that they SHOULD be doing.   


Title: Re: Cuts loom if Mahoning County voters reject bus levy, WRTA chief says
Post by: northside lurker on October 16, 2012, 08:55:01 PM
Why is it OK for the gov't to subsidize roads, and not other transportation infrastructure?

Anyway, to answer your question, I didn't say the gov't shouldn't subsidize roads.  I would just suggest that, if privately owned transit services were ever to be profitable again, the gov't would have to subsidize roads less.