Mass Transit in Salem's Future

Portland and Eugene have arguably better mass transit service. They're supported by business and payroll taxes. I present that it is time for Salem Oregon to follow suit.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Recently we had two property tax levies to support mass transit in Salem fail. The first in May of 2006 because of the double majority provision even though a majority passed it, and the second in November of 2006 by a thousand votes or so, failing outright. As a result instead of increasing and expanding mass transit services there have been service cuts in September 2006 as well as others this past summer of 2007.

Even though service was cut by nearly 20% ridership has only decreased by about 7% meaning the services are being stretched ever thinner. The Wheels service that supported the elderly and those who are disabled but not severely enough to qualify for the ADA CherriLift service has had drastic cuts in service, to the point that it pretty much only serves its core MRDD (mentally retarded/developmentally disabled) contract clients and a couple shopper runs for Polk County housing. Service to the Salem Senior Center and Salem Clinic, for the majority of the day, is limited to a single bus an hour.

This is unacceptable in the state capital! Salem Oregon deserves so much better, as do its citizens!

I have heard that the transit board intends to seek another property tax levy. I think that would be a grave mistake as well as a colossal waste of time and resources. The voters have effectively spoken... the property owners are paying 75 cents per 1000 dollars in assessed for taxation value and they feel that is enough. But it is not enough to properly fund mass transit in Salem.

The district has plans, through separate federal funding, to set up minihubs in the north and south similar to the minihub already operating in West Salem. This is a good start and a good plan. It answers the complaint many make, often unfairly and through ignorance but made nonetheless, of huge buses rumbling empty through neighborhoods. In the minihub plan the large buses would only run between the minihubs and the central transit mall (especially once an east minihub is set up around the Lancaster Mall area).

They might run as frequently as every ten minutes. From the minihubs smaller buses would route through the neighborhoods giving coverage with greater frequency, say every 15 minutes or possibly every 20 minutes. There might be one or two routes that might continue to use the larger buses, maybe on a twice hourly schedule, such as the existing Lancaster Drive #11 line. Adding Sunday service and extending service to 11:45 PM are also real necessities, and adding Saturday and Sunday service to the CARTS service would be a boon to ridership as well.

Setting the system up in this manner will make it more efficient and convenient. Frequency will be increased. Also somone in Keizer or South Salem (or the east areas once the east hub is set up) would no longer need to go all the way downtown just to get on a different bus to head back in the same direction. The time spent on the bus for such riders would be greatly reduced. With increased convenience and frequency will come greater ridership, which will mean less cars on the roads, less wear and tear on the roads, less funds repairing and maintaining the roads and less need to expand roads (if the can really be expanded which in many areas they effectively cannot).

During the last campaigns it was brought up that those who work in Salem or Keizer but live elsewhere benefit from the mass transit service but pay nothing to support it. The same argument is made regarding businesses that benefit greatly from the additional customers mass transit brings to their doors but who contribute little to its support.

Portland and Eugene, two cities in Oregon which have arguably better mass transit service, are supported by business and payroll taxes. I present that it is time for Salem Oregon to follow suit.

Either legislatively or through ballot the transit district should seek, instead of another doomed property tax levy, to have put in place a permanent business/payroll tax to augment the existing property tax levy and provide adequate funding for the level of service described above plus additional monies so they can again build a reserve fund to allow for future needed expansions as Salem continues to grow and as the usage and needs of the ridership expand accordingly.

Why permanent? So that the city can have a stable mass transit service that it can be proud of, that does not risk severe service cuts every 5 years or so and avoids expensive and unnecessary legislative or ballot campaigns. Doing such will give stable funding to produce the needed service levels for at least a dozen years, if not over twenty years, before any tweaking might be necessary.

An additional benefit to this funding plan is that the double majority will not apply, as it only applies to local initiatives that add to local property taxes. A business/payroll tax would add nothing to local property taxes.

There are those in Salem who just oppose any kind of tax or fee. There are also those selfish and shortsighted individuals who refuse to support anything they do not personally use even when they have great indirect benefits from it. Luckily these groups are in the minority. The significant majority of voters will support services if they feel that the funding methods are fair and that the services provide good benefits. Continuing to try and fund mass transit in Salem solely on the backs of local property owners, many of whom are elderly and/or disabled and on a fixed limited income, is perceived as unfair. I cannot say that this perception is inaccurate.

I am sure that, as usual, the business community will shriek, howl, bellow and beat its chest with rage. Let them. They benefit from the business transit provides and in reality they will just pass the costs along anyway so I fail to see why they should really get all worked up about it in the first place. But people vote, businesses don't.

It also would not hurt to seek additional funds from the State of Oregon since Salem is the state capital. Oregonians should expect the city that is its capital to be a shining example, not a state embarrassment.

If we are to get more people out of their cars and trucks and SUVs and into mass transit usage the services must be seven days a week, must run until 11:45 PM (for the final buses heading out on their final runs of the night) and must have the increased frequencies mentioned above. Otherwise even $4 a gallon gas and a stick of dynamite will not pry drivers out of their cars and get them to use mass transit.

Salem has grown to the point that our streets cannot handle the traffic demanded of them, and in most of the central areas the existing roads simply cannot be widened without displacing thousands of citizens through long and costly eminent domain struggles.

It is far less expensive, less disruptive and more intelligent to expand mass transit instead to allow better and more efficient use of the roads we have.

I hope the transit board listens to the lessons of the past elections and moves forward as outlined above instead of just hovering in a holding pattern trying again and again for a property tax levy they will likely never get. And the ridership, and those who might become riders, need to speak up and tell the transit board what they need.

Vote in favor of ballots supporting mass transit and also vote in city councilors, county commissioners and other governmental representatives who support transit and are capable of seeing its benefits to Salem now and into the future.

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KeithR February 23, 2010 2:17 pm (Pacific time)

The Salem/Keizer area transit services have taken several cutbacks in the last 14 months. It is by design, some by the current board itself. They are not going to get the payroll tax approved as a way of funding the return of Saturday services by the Legislature. I will testify against it and so will the local businesses that do not feel it is their job to funds an inept transit system. After the last system re-sdesign, it was no longer their goals to service neighborhoods unless they could give you a circulator route in your area. They took the services and took the people out of it. People live in neighborhoods. The current system sucks and makes me want to get my car fixed even more so I can avoid it.

Henry Ruark November 11, 2007 1:00 pm (Pacific time)

D.Lewis: Appreciate your demand for dialog on-subject; knowing both communitees, agree absolutely with your Comment. Salem long-mesmerized by Neanderthal-type laissez faire economic interests, with little grasp of any world outside rapid-progress for business interests and you-know-who take-the-rest. Hang in there, and join Citizen Forum email group, for solid shot at ongoing regime well overdue for dismissal.

D. Lewis November 10, 2007 7:48 pm (Pacific time)

Well, maybe we get back to the issue here? I lived in Eugene for 12 years and we have recently moved back to Salem and are very dismayed at the mass transit situation here! While Eugene is arguably a much different town than Salem, there are ways that I think Salem could make this work. In Eugene, *all* UO students pay a fee each year so any of them who wish can ride the bus for free at any time they wish using their student ID. Additionally, many of the companies that employ a large number of people (Sacred Heart, and I believe the Register Guard and Hyundai as well) pay a certain amount for all of their employee who wish to, ride free with their employee "badges." As far as I know, this is a program that LTD offers any company who wishes to buy into it. It provides revenue for better service, which, in turn, increases ridership and reduces traffic. What are some other solutions here (b/c I would like to hear some!)? Can we just keep adding cars the already terribly backed-up traffic in this city?!

Henry Ruark November 10, 2007 4:21 am (Pacific time)

To all: Always the last resort of "unintentional comedian" to attack others when his own script falls flat for his fellows. Also always convenient to remain "anon", thus ostensibly avoiding responsibilities for statements, when in reality that only focuses attention for waste-of-time/ers. IF you're shamed to sign it with full ID, don't perpetrate it. Dialog colleagues here have full right to know to whom they listen, with proof of credibility right out there for all to read.

Neal Feldman November 9, 2007 7:58 pm (Pacific time)

And I wouldn't purge his comments anyway. He makes it so easy to disprove his nonsense his posts are just too funny to not share with the world at large. It seems GoC has missed his prime vocation - as an unwitting comedian. Ah well...

GodsofChaos November 9, 2007 6:47 pm (Pacific time)

Hmmmmmm........... thats strange my post were never put up. You got angry when you got the taste of your own medicine or perhaps it was the fact you can't handle criticism even though you doll it out constantly.

Editor: GodsofChaos, no posts were purged today and the only ones that we delete contain profanity or are especially hurtful in stories involving death. There have been a few times that posts haven't gone through over the code being entered wrong or just not working. While Neal could at some point be in the mix of people who approve or disapprove comments, he is not at this point, so Neal did not make any editorial decisions on any comments on this or any other story. Thanks

Henry Clay Ruark November 9, 2007 5:01 pm (Pacific time)

To all: Perhaps this is logical moment to suggest that, with proper corporate-tax payments from thousands of profiteers statewide, and after depriving them-all of "$10 minimum corporate tax"-escape, THEN maybe the State Capital, seeking incoming responsible businesses and building fine home-environment at same time for sharp, wise workers, will DO SOMEthing to continue the once-strong Oregonian competition for such lucrative and responsible enterprises. IF "money is always an essential" surely there is some improvement demanded in how we now getting it from our corporate citizens, far too many of whom still avoid any fair-share payments.

Henry Ruark November 9, 2007 3:52 pm (Pacific time)

Yep et al Sometimes appearance can be most deceiving. Twelve yrs in Chicago via subway, bus, elevated saw three incidents enroute --and all three were neatly settled "peacefully" by looming presence of large men, poorly dressed but determined --and very democratic, too ! Larger rider-usage will cure any perhaps-piddling problems, in any case, as decades of transit usage and growth have done elsewhere.

Neal Feldman November 9, 2007 3:27 pm (Pacific time)

Yep - I have to ask... since you say yours is a So Salem neighborhood you ARE aware you are likely near the END of the route. right? You comprehend that the further to the end of the route one is the fewer riders there will likely be unless there is a crowd draw at the end of the route, right? And you understand that closer in to downtown ridership likely increases requiring the larger bus since say a 15 passenger van would likely be inadequate at that point, right? And you understand that due to the laws of physics and limits of technological advancement buses do not have the ability to grow and shrink at need, right? And I would think with your comment you would be a strong supporter of the minihubs and smaller buses plan. Yet you just seem, like most drivers, to to be just hostile to mass transit on general elitist principles. As for your complaint about 'spewing toxic fumes' you ARE aware most of the buses now run on compressed or liquid natural gas, not diesel fuel, right? The average Honda Accord 'spews' more 'toxic fumes' than one of the buses do. As to the elitist attitude regarding riders I just chalk it up to you living in South Salem where folks seem to think they are better than everyone else and that their feces doesn't stink. Ah well...

Yep November 9, 2007 3:10 pm (Pacific time)

Mostly the buses spewing toxic fumes into my So Salem neighborhood are empty or with 1 or 2 riders. I check to see if anyone rides, I would vote to support this transit if it were being used. Sadly, they do carry the odd transient and sketchy person to and from the area. I don't like it.

Henry Ruark November 9, 2007 2:55 pm (Pacific time)

To all: Neal properly describes the statement to which C objects. For me, as longtime editor, the impact of the statement is precisely as Neal stated; and note he confines himself to the statement without attribution to the person, letting the wording itself carry that implication. SO, for me, C either cannot or will not read-and-think, as his statements continue to present for your own evaluation here. What he does is in direct contempt for honest, open, democratic dialog, for his own psychological satisfactions.

Henry Ruark November 9, 2007 2:41 pm (Pacific time)

Chaotic: Yr continuance proves up potently precisely what Neal has written. IF you wish to ID-self to editor, per 3 invitations so far, will happily contend with your defiling open, honest channel via stronger terms than acceptable here. Unless, until you supply credibilities/background per those of us already on public record, you deserve neither space nor attention for further wastage of good time spent more profitably out of yr domain. To repeat for you if still needed, yr role as cheapshot artist played out without some solid and further revealing right-on reason to believe you even read what you send, much less think about it.

Neal Feldman November 9, 2007 1:51 pm (Pacific time)

GoC - I did not call anyone a deceitful moron... I merely pointed out how the statement had him coming across. It is a truthful and accurate statement on my part. Can you prove otherwise? Now your calling me a jerk IS namecalling, and considering your first sentence quite hypocritical as well. Allen's claims are patently ludicrous and ridiculous and do not even come close to passing the smell test. Let me know when you have something relevant or legitimate to say, GoC, for I have yet to see you express anything that was even close to being either. But feel free to continue to make yourself out to be a poltroon. It is quite entertaining. Ah well...

GodsofChaos November 9, 2007 11:02 am (Pacific time)

Neal Feldman:yeah calling some a deceitful moron is really mature. Where you born a jerk or did you just become one?How do you know what is going on in Allen's neighborhood? Are you roommates? Are you lovers or is Allen a family member? "And the number of prowlers in my neighborhood has dropped by 99% not to mention the reduction of drug sales at the bus stops. I no longer see street people getting off a bus and looking around for a likely target."Allen Maybe Allen is telling you what changes are happening in his neighborhood.Yes he could be wrong on why those changes take place but, unless you happen to live next door I don't think you have the right to call him a "deceitful moron".Ask yourself do you really know what does and does not happen in Allen's neighborhood.

Neal Feldman November 9, 2007 10:10 am (Pacific time)

Allen - Entirely non-believable statement on your part here as neighborhood prowlers and the 'street people' rarely ride the bus and would be unaffected for the most part by service cuts. As for drug dealing that too would see little effect as those making the sales and purchases would still do so regardless of service cuts. You just come across as a deceitful moron. You are clearly in one of the two minority views I mentioned above. But do please continue. It is entertaining (in the way you cannot look away from a train wreck) to those of us with something legitimate, intelligent, logical and fact-based to say. Ah well...

Allen November 9, 2007 6:32 am (Pacific time)

And the number of prowlers in my neighborhood has dropped by 99% not to mention the reduction of drug sales at the bus stops. I no longer see street people getting off a bus and looking around for a likely target.

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