Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails

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Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails
Posted by Gold_12TH on Wed Jun 20 01:07:36 2012 edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d A plan to hike fares on Suffolk's handicap-accessible minibus service stalled Tuesday, after some county legislators criticized the measure as an effort to balance the budget "on the backs of the disabled." The legislature failed to get the 10 votes needed on a resolution that would have set hearings on the fare increase. The public works commissioner then could enact the increase. With Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D- Holbrook ) absent, lawmakers were split 9-8 in favor. "I'm not sure we need this," said Legis. Jay Schneiderman (I- Montauk ), the public works committee chairman. "We don't want to balance the books on the backs of the disabled." County Executive Steve Bellone, a Democrat, wants to raise Suffolk County Accessible Transit fares from $3 to $4 per ride, saying it could bring in more than $440,000 a year in additional revenue. In recent years, the service has provided some 440,000 rides per year. SCAT fare hikes were among Bellone's initial set of proposals to help close a projected $530 million deficit. Next week, Suffolk will lose about 260 employees who had only been funded for the first six months of 2012, and may lay off more next year. But Ben Zwirn, Bellone's legislative liaison, said the county can't close the gap with layoffs alone. "The problem is, we cannot cut enough to balance this budget," he told lawmakers. "We need to also have some additional revenue coming in." Deputy County Executive Jon Schneider later said the administration won't abandon the effort. He noted that minibus rides for the disabled have cost the same since 1994. "What were gas prices 18 years ago?" Schneider said. "It's not unreasonable to say this service costs Suffolk County taxpayers significantly more than it did 18 years ago, and may now merit a modest fare hike." Tuesday's measure failed, in part, because Schneiderman and Legis. Kara Hahn (D- Setauket ), both of whom typically support Bellone, voted no with the majority of Republicans. Schneiderman said he could "stomach" a 50-cent fare hike, while Hahn was unequivocal in her opposition. "This is not a population we need to be coming after," she said. "This will be devastating to some of these people." Brian Rossi, a blind Ridge resident, frequently uses the minibuses. He said Suffolk should improve scheduling before instituting a fare hike. "I don't think they should raise it without improving service quality first," Rossi, 35, said after the meeting. But Legis. Lou D'Amaro (D- North Babylon ) said Suffolk has long subsidized its minibus service -- at more than $35 a ride -- so a $4 fare would still be "a bargain.""Even an increase up to a dollar would strike a very fair balance," he said. ---newsday
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Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails
Posted by mac5689* on Wed Jun 20 08:14:06 2012, in response to Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails, posted by Gold_12TH on Wed Jun 20 01:07:36 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d The matter isn't done yet, I could have sworn I heard on the radio that this matter will be reviwed. I can't see how they can improve SCAT's scheduling as they schedule pick ups after riders make resavations. Also SCAT is going to be implementing new policy's next month that deal with excessive no-shows and a short time period to make resavations. I don't get how Legis. Schneiderman was so gun ho to raise the fares on fixed routes yet he doesn't want to raise it for SCAT. I mean not all disabled people ride SCAT. What they should do is raise the fare and get rid of the 3/4th of a mile rule, because currenly, a disabled person could be spending nearly 4.00's a day to get from point A to point B anyway. (Rules say that a SCAT rider can be dropped off at a ST stop if the route is close to their end point or something like that. So $.75 Cent on Fixed route + $3.00 is $3.75)
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Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails
Posted by Train2104* on Wed Jun 20 08:22:00 2012, in response to Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails, posted by mac5689 on Wed Jun 20 08:14:06 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Getting rid of the 3/4 mile route would be cost prohibitive, as that would mean serving all parts of the county 7 days a week. "Feeder paratransit" (taking the rider to a fixed route stop) exists out in Suffolk? It works really well in NYC, but once headways are hourly or worse, it isn't the smartest thing to do. Paratransit efficiency is very hard to obtain, but there are some ways of doing it, namely converting low ridership routes (S90, 10-series, etc) to 3/4 mile deviated fixed route.
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Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails
Posted by RailBus63* on Wed Jun 20 09:37:37 2012, in response to Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails, posted by mac5689 on Wed Jun 20 08:14:06 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d The 3/4 mile rule is part of the ADA and cannot be eliminated unless the fixed-route service is eliminated.
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Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails
Posted by mac5689* on Wed Jun 20 10:05:57 2012, in response to Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails, posted by RailBus63 on Wed Jun 20 09:37:37 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d I wasn't aware it was a ADA rule, I thought it was a county rule because I don't recall any other Para Transit service mentioning that rule.
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Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails
Posted by mac5689* on Wed Jun 20 10:25:33 2012, in response to Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails, posted by Train2104 on Wed Jun 20 08:22:00 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d "Feeder paratransit" (taking the rider to a fixed route stop) exists out in Suffolk? I can't find anything on it now, but I know a while back I read about how SCAT would transport riders from their homes to a bus stop for the route that went closest to their end point. Maybe they stopped doing that when they started to offer Origin to Destination service. (Origin to Destination service is service that will allow SCAT drivers to provide basic additional assistance to paratransit riders between curbside and building entrances)
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Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails
Posted by checkmatechamp13* on Wed Jun 20 14:02:23 2012, in response to Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails, posted by Train2104 on Wed Jun 20 08:22:00 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d I never understood that. What happens to the walk-ups along the route? Like say I'm waiting for the S56 (Staten Island) at Woodrow Road/Foster Road, and it had to deviate to Vernon Avenue/Sheldon Avenue to pick somebody up. Would the driver be mandated to go back along the regular route, or could he potentially just go straight to Foster Road and leave me waiting another 30 minutes? (Of course, this is if the S56 were, indeed, a deviated route)
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Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails
Posted by Train2104* on Wed Jun 20 16:45:44 2012, in response to Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails, posted by checkmatechamp13 on Wed Jun 20 14:02:23 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d They would go back along the regular route. No stops are missed in most deviated route operations.
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Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails
Posted by Train2104* on Wed Jun 20 16:48:02 2012, in response to Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails, posted by mac5689 on Wed Jun 20 10:05:57 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Depends on what agency you're dealing with. The ADA says minimum 3/4 mile from any fixed route. NJT and NICE are both systems that use that rule. Service beyond the 3/4 mile is not required and some agencies will charge additional fare (since ADA dictates that for within 3/4 mile, fare cannot be greater than 2x comparable fixed route fare). MBTA as of July 1 will do this. NYCT does all NYC destinations for the same fare.
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Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails
Posted by checkmatechamp13* on Wed Jun 20 21:05:32 2012, in response to Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails, posted by Train2104 on Wed Jun 20 16:48:02 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Out of curiosity, how strictly do you think they enforce that 3/4 of a mile rule? Do you think they go up into areas like Breezy Point or Todt Hill, because technically they are within city limits. And is it 3/4 of a mile in NYC, or 1/2 mile?
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Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails
Posted by Train2104* on Wed Jun 20 22:06:46 2012, in response to Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails, posted by checkmatechamp13 on Wed Jun 20 21:05:32 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d In NYC its citywide. NICE, NJT, SCT is 3/4 mile.
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Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails
Posted by mac5689* on Thu Jun 21 00:48:39 2012, in response to Re: Bus fare hike for disabled in Suffolk fails, posted by checkmatechamp13 on Wed Jun 20 21:05:32 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d I have no idea, thought from the way that woman talked in the transcript I'd say that the rule is strictly enforced.
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