The City of Lincoln has tried many times to increase bus ridership. To a large degree it has been a quixotic quest characterized by unrealistic hopes and flawed approaches. Not always, though. Sometimes they get it right, even if the outcome isn't always what they dream.
The monthly pass price decrease that may become a part of the final budget is a good example of getting it right. By dropping the cost of a monthly pass from $45 to $17, Lincoln is undertaking a drastic experiment. It's a worthwhile one. I'm skeptical that pass purchases will jump the 300% needed to result in revenue neutrality, but the dramatic change should certainly have some effect. Let's see what happens.
If you're on the bubble about getting a bus pass, this change should push you over the edge. If you could be taking the bus but you haven't really given it a fair consideration, at $17 per month you'd be a fool not to think about it. I rode the bus to school and work for years. Sure I have some stories to tell; that's the nature of public transit. At the same time I saved thousands of dollars in gas, parking fees, and vehicle maintenance, and I got to read, study, and work on crossword puzzles rather than fretting about traffic. The tradeoffs were worth it for me, and they may be for you, too.
Or you could do what I did and just start working from home. But that comes with its own perils...
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See what your friends and neighbors have to say about this.
I’ve been riding Startran exclusively for 5 years (no car). They’re clean, comfortable, the drivers are polite and friendly (one recent driver on Normal got on the intercom as we approached downtown and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Lincoln Nebraska. Currently the temperature is 58 degrees. We should be at our gate in just a few minutes. Once again, thank you for flying Startran”. The entire bus was laughing). They’re remarkably on-time (except when it’s snowing), and during normal commuting hours you’ll see the same people once or twice a day and will start having friendly conversation.
When not riding, I’ll bike or walk and it’s really sad to see 2-ton car after 2-ton car cruising with just 1 person in it, usually on a cell phone.
It’s not just what a person could save, but what the city could save in street repair and upgrades.
How many are aware that the single most common use of land in urban areas is….parking lots. Imagine parking lots as parks and green space.
I would love to take the bus but it looks like it would be more than one hour to get to work and about the same to get home. Not likely to happen until that can improve.
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