RTA makes statement to Unified Government Commission in support of transit
May 2, 2008
Margie Richcreek, RTA Board Chair, addressed the Mayor and the Unified Government Commission during a May 1 public hearing on the 2009 Unified Government budget. Her statement on behalf of the Regional Transit Alliance is included below.
Throughout June and July, the Unified Government will host a series of roundtable discussions and public hearings on the budget. These are great opportunities for RTA members and supporters to voice their support for adequate funding of public transit in Wyandotte County and the importance of UG Transit in a regional transportation system. RTA will keep you informed through this process.
You may also stay current with the budget process by signing up for the Unified Government's e-newsletter. Remember that your voice, especially in alliance with other voices, can make a difference!
RTA Statement to Unified Government Commission on May 1, 2008
Mayor Reardon, members of the Unified Government Commission, and County Administrator Hays, thank you for this opportunity to be heard. I am Margie Richcreek, chair of the Regional Transit Alliance. I represent thousands of members and transit supporters throughout our seven county region. Needless to say, there is a lot going on with public transit in those seven counties. Tonight we’re here to talk about the need for increased and steady funding for public transit in Wyandotte County.
We understand that UG Transit is already operating on limited funds, that federal funding is drying up, that fuel prices are skyrocketing, and that there is a need for even more services, including a mandate for Sunday bus service by October 2008. There is an obvious need for increased and steady funding for public transit in Wyandotte County.
When you consider recent surveys and citizen involvement in the Wyandotte County Master Plan, everyone sees that transit ranks right after public safety as a priority here. I imagine if you were to survey tourists and youngsters, they’d rank transit as the top priority, keeping in mind their desire to get to the Schlitterbahn, The Legends, and the Kansas Race Track. What great destinations! A transit system that serves the entire county by getting people of all ages and stages into the Kansas City, Kan., revitalized downtown, to all the other places they want to go in Wyandotte County, and connected to other systems in the region will require increased and steady funding.
UG Transit is part of a regional vision. Other parts of the region are supporting transit plans with a renewed vigor and they are moving forward. The Regional Transit Alliance supports a regional transit system as well as transit systems within the region. Continuing current service is vital, expanding that service is imperative. There is a need for increased and steady funding for public transit in Wyandotte County.