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EDITORIAL: Park and Ride Routes Attractive

Posted on: Monday, 26 September 2005, 15:00 CDT

Sep. 26--The Montgomery bus system historically has struggled to attract sufficient riders for the system to be cost-effective. But there are six routes that currently aren't being run that might very well fill up a bus every workday - one each from Prattville, Wetumpka and Millbrook each weekday morning, and a return bus each weekday after work hours.

With gas prices likely to continue rising in the long term, it is time for the local governments in the area to look at creating park and ride options for commuters.

The Montgomery bus system could not operate such routes right now, even if the demand is there. The system's charter covers only operations in the city of Montgomery.

But if the cities and counties in the tri-county would cooperate, allowing a change in the charter to provide limited intercity routes should be achievable.

Such a cooperative effort could be done under the auspices of the local metropolitan planning organization. In fact, Ken Groves, transportation planning coordinator for the Montgomery Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and planning director for the city, said Friday that the MPO will soon start preliminary studies into the feasibility of such park and ride options.

They make sense. Each bus that could be filled with commuters would take 30 or more cars off the crowded commuter routes in and out of the city each day.

Not only would that save money for the commuters, but it would help alleviate growing traffic snarls and reduce emissions.

A side benefit would be that even a small intercity park and ride system could be more readily expanded when the nation next faces gasoline shortages than starting such a system from scratch.

It's possible that there might be enough demand to operate buses from other areas as well.

For instance, many people work in Montgomery but live in Tuskegee or Auburn. Similarly, anyone who drives to Auburn regularly knows that Interstate 85 is filled with young people heading to Auburn to classes most days. MPO planners should look closely at whether there is a market for mass transit to and from Auburn each day, with possible stops at Tuskegee and Tuskegee University. Similarly, there might be enough demand for a route from Lowndes County as well.

Tim Omick, general manager of the Montgomery Area Transit System, said that a park and ride option from East Montgomery to downtown is already in the MATS long-range plan. Because such a route would be within the MATS charter area, it could be done without changes to the charter. If gas prices stay high, perhaps it is time to move it from the long-range plan to the short-range one.

While we are on the subjects of commuting and gas shortages, we have some other suggestions:

--The Montgomery Area MPO also should look into the possibility of offering a forum where area commuters who want to car pool can get together. Many MPOs around the nation offer such a forum, usually connect to a Web site. It is possible there are a substantial number of area commuters who would like to car pool, but simply do not know how to make contact with other interested people.

--The Montgomery Area MPO also should look into operating a van pool services such as the one currently being operated by its counterpart in Birmingham.

Such van pool programs actually provide a van to a primary driver who parks it at home overnight and on weekends. Commuters pay fees to ride.

The Birmingham program has seen increased demand in recent weeks. In operation for about five years, it recently increased the number of vehicles it was operating from 15 to 24.

Federal funds are available to help subsidize such programs.

--Alabama's congressional delegation should support changes in federal regulations to make it easier to operate such area transit programs.

Hurricane Katrina should have taught this nation that it's fuel supply operates on a narrow margin and that cheap gasoline is not a constitutional right. It is time for public leaders in the Montgomery area to start working together to develop the beginnings of an area transit program.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.

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Source: Montgomery Advertiser

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