Editor,
The new town “richies” who apparently now run Laguna hardly need a year-round city transit system. Many of them have never set foot on a public bus and never will. Former City Manager Ken Frank would have loved to get rid of the blue and white buses, subsidized by hundreds of thousands from Orange County Transit Authority and the present city manager’s reference to them at the meeting of the “clique” who runs the city, the so-called Conservancy is scary.
Yes, we do have low-income citizens, believe it or not, who use our bus system and students, Lagunatics, visitors and others who want to get to “higher ground” on the north side, Top of the World, Bluebird Canyon and Arch Beach Heights and some who love the system because it stops mere feet from CVS, Albertson’s and South Laguna’s Mission Hospital.
If you love the blue and white buses and or believe they are a vital city service, you should contact your favorite city council member to remind them that we don’t want to loose them for this city manager or any other short thinking person.
Roger Carter, Laguna Beach
Agreed. There are too many people who depend on the little buses to yank service.
Our white and blue metro buses represent one-quarter of a balanced mobility plan and a bold first step in adopting that plan. However they run at only 20% occupancy. To avoid the negative stigma of “public subsidy” and potentially loosing this bus service, the city and the Chamber could better promote this bus on their websites, on social media and at public attractions. Laguna residents (the bus-riding kind) need to learn a change in habit, they could better utilize this bus before choosing to drive a private car in Laguna. That would reduce the demand for parking, reduce auto congestion and improve our town at zero cost. Remember the estimate for a new parking structure at the village entrance is $42 Million bucks, that is $70,000 per parking space.
Correction for comment #2: $42 Million three-story parking structure for 600 cars, $70,000 per parking space.
A good solution is to make workers who work at shops ride the bus to a parking structure. This will clear out parking for visitor customers and fill those bus with riders. If the bus does not have enought riders you modify its route. If that does not work you cut it. that just the way it works in the real world. The bus are there own advertisment. they drive all over town. We need to stop holding everyones hand and make them responsible for there own lives. fill the bus or the bus goes. Get your head out of the sand. The issue has to be addressed before someone addressed it for you.
We cannot afford a blue and White bus system that operates “in the red” big time. Cannot be going “to the Well” called the Parking Fund and taking,taking.
Also puty aside the Two Big Egos on City Council and let us have some honest dialogue on the Village Entrance, which
I think is a big waste period!
Look out for the huge pension laiblity that is looming.