GLTC riders pick priorities as company looks for cuts

In two small roundtables conducted this week, Lynchburg bus riders indicated their lowest priorities were Saturday night service and a special peak-hour service offered only on certain routes.

No support was expressed for raising rider fares. The Greater Lynchburg Transit Company is considering both service reductions and fare hikes this year due to anticipated losses in funding.

Earlier this week, it asked its two customer advisory committees to weigh in on the possible changes. Members were given fake money and asked to distribute it among boxes representing nine primary service categories.

The items with the lightest piggy banks at the end were:

• Manning the customer service phone line on nights and weekends.

• Saturday night bus service.

• Peak-hour or “tripper” service offered weekdays on select routes. Trippers are extra buses used to increase service in the early mornings and evenings, primarily to accommodate riders traveling to and from work.

The single highest priority that emerged from the roundtables was preserving regular weekday bus service. All participating committee members, 12 in all, voting to fully fund that.

Also highly rated was daytime service on Saturdays. Committee members said they felt baseline weekday and Saturday service were the most crucial for riders seeking to get to work, make appointments and do their shopping.

“Of course, everyone has different schedules and is going to have different opinions,” reflected Linda Coderre, who said she felt guilty after depositing most of her money and discovering she didn’t have enough left for tripper service.

Coderre, chairwoman of GLTC’s advisory committee for riders with disabilities, said she felt the bus system was too often given short shrift. “Not a lot of people think about public transit because most people have cars. But there are people who rely on the buses. It’s their only way to get to work and get around.”

In a bit of good news for GLTC, Lynchburg’s city manager has recommended that it get level funding in the coming year, after it was advised to prepare for a 10 percent cut.

Lynchburg is GLTC’s third biggest source of revenue after the federal government and Liberty University. Receiving level city funding would wipe out more than half of GLTC’s anticipated shortfall.

General Manager Mike Carroll said officials were encouraged by the city manager’s recommendation, but added they would continue to explore cost-cutting ideas until City Council finalizes the budget.

“We’re not taking it to the bank yet,” Carroll said.

The city manager released his budget proposal Tuesday. GLTC held its customer roundtables on Monday and Wednesday.

The outcome of Lynchburg’s budget will not affect the fate of routes 5G and 5H in Madison Heights. That service is supported by Amherst County, which has advised GLTC to pre-pare for a 15 percent funding cut.