LOWER LAKE >> Lake County Transit Authority cut the Route 12 bus line earlier this month. The decision was made due to rising operating cost and the reductions in federal grant funding.
The LTA tried to absorb the lost of funding elsewhere. General Manager Mark Wall said they have already rolled back spending on printing, advertising and utilities in order save as much money as possible. With the significant reduction in federal grant funding, they still could not make ends meet.
He said this left no option but to consider service reductions.
The LTA’s current operating budget for this year is a little over $2.7 million. This is only a $600 increase from last year.
Regular riders on Route 12 were not happy with the decision. Clearlake resident Dante DeAmicis said this cut will make it very difficult for residents to get to Social Services appointments.
While there are other options, including departing Social Services on Route 10, DeAmicis argued that arriving would still be an issue.
“There is almost no allowance for being late,” he said. “You would have to make another appointment. People in Kelseyville, Middletown, or Cobb do not even have this option, since there is no possible way to leave in the afternoon and make an afternoon appointment,”
Those living in certain areas would have to join multiple routes to just get to an afternoon appointment at Social Services, DeAmicis said. To follow each route and time would be difficult.
“Many people want to dismiss the issue by just saying people can ask for a morning appointment instead of the first available time. Yes they can….and wait longer for an appointment,” DeAmicis said. “Though several cuts are unnecessary, cutting the 4 p.m. Route 12 almost seems intended to cause the maximum amount of suffering for the most people while saving the least amount of money.”
To determine which service to cut, Wall explained that he and the transit contractors evaluated each existing line and came to the conclusion that cutting Route 12 would do the least damage.
“Routes 10 and 11 provide service to every bus stop served by Route 12, so the overall impact on the availability of service is fairly low,” Wall said. “Because Route 12 doesn’t go into Clearlake Park, or the Avenues, it has always been the least used of the three routes. The main function of Route 12 is to relieve pressure on the other routes during peak ridership hours.”
Even though there are fewer ride options around Clearlake, there are still functional routes that can be used by the public. If the LTA receives funds in the future, Wall said they would definitely consider additional services.
However, if there is a repeal of the recently approved gas tax, additional cuts might be made.
The decline in federal funding had a big impact on the LTA budget.
“In fiscal year 2015/16, LTA received $600,000 from this source to fund the operations of Routes 1, 3, 4, and 7. In fiscal year 2017/18, LTA will receive only $367,751 from this source. This $232,249 reduction over the past two years represents an 8.5 percent decline in available funding for transit operations,” Wall said.
LTA officers continue to seek out other funding sources. The Lake Links program, which facilitates specialized transportation to increase mobility for elderly and disabled populations did receive financial support.
Before, this program was limited to purchasing vehicles and equipment, but now it can help fund the Pay-Your-Pal Program, out of county Non-Emergency Medical Transportation, special trips for senior centers and the mobility management program.
“It takes awhile to actually get funding and implement these programs, but we expect to move forward in 2018 with these Lake Links programs,” Wall said.
