Public Transportation Life-Line
For Residents Who Don’t Drive
Most of us don’t have to worry about making a trip to the local grocery to buy milk or eggs. We have the means to simply jump in the car and drive there, whenever it is convenient for us. But for those who rely on public transportation, when and how they can get to the store for basic necessities can be a real challenge.
The occasion of being driven places by my son on his learner’s permit, reminded me of just how excited I was about getting my own driver’s license. It was over thirty years ago now, but I still remember every detail of the driving test. We got to the terrifying orange cones and dreaded request to “parallel park” the car. It took me five motions to get in the space, a detail noted by the test giver. “You know, you are suppose to parallel park in three motions?” To which I answered with a straight face and all the sincerity I could muster, “Oh, you wanted me to do it in three motions.”
He managed to forgive my transgression, having probably heard a lot worse excuses, and I received my driver’s license. With it came a lot of responsibility and expense over the years, but it also brought something we all value very highly...freedom. Next to freedom of speech, nothing has come to symbolize personal freedom in our country more than having your own car, a license to drive and the open road. Whether we have the time to spare, or can really afford the gas, doesn’t seem to matter. Our cars take us anywhere we want to go, at any time of the day or night. It’s America’s magic carpet ride.
Now, I would like you to think about those times you found yourself without a car. Perhaps it was in the shop and you didn’t have use of another car at the time. You had to rely on a lift from a friend or relative. Maybe you had to take a cab to work. If you’re like most people, you were very glad to get your “freedom” back.
It is at those times that we come close to experiencing what people without private transportation live with every day.
One woman called me a few months ago about a change in the local bus routes. With transfers, it took her over an hour each way to get to and from the grocery store. She was worried that her milk would spoil and that she couldn’t buy ice cream. The City was able to adjust the route so this one story had a happy ending, but there are many other people in our community, some handicapped, most Senior Citizens, who live too far from a bus route to take advantage of our public transportation system.
I believe it was former Mayor Grace Nichols, when she was a Councilwoman, who began pushing for Senior transportation. I was a strong supporter of those efforts. Our first bus was called The Golden Age Express and helped Seniors get to and from our Senior Center on Fairgrounds Road. Later, we changed the name to St. Charles Area Transit or SCAT and opened it up to use by the general public for a nominal fare. SCAT now has four color coded bus routes that overlap and allow transfers. It is well run, though poorly advertised in my opinion.
While SCAT is a great service it is not for everyone. There have been suggestions that the City should get away from the mid-size buses and go to a van system where people call in for a ride. Others feel we shouldn’t abandon the type of service we already provide, especially if it proves to be more expensive.
One alternative I would like to explore is having government work with private enterprise instead of competing with them. We already have a clean efficient cab service in the community. Perhaps the City could issue a “Freedom Pass” to those Seniors or handicapped persons needing basic transportation. They would simply call the cab company for a weekly trip to the grocery store and any health related trips in town. Reimbursing the cab company for short trips, including helping riders in with packages, may prove more economical than hiring additional personnel, buying vans, setting up a dispatcher and doing it ourselves.
We are also conducting a Citizen Survey about the SCAT system which will help us in making decisions about public transportation. Please take a moment to fill out the survey here in the First Capitol News. It is also available on-line at the City website, www.stcharlescity.com and will be included in the next City Newsletter. Copies of the completed survey can be mailed to the Public Works Department, 200 North Second Street, St. Charles, Missouri 63301.
As gasoline prices continue to soar, public transportation may have to become a more important part of our life, as it has in larger cities and most European Countries. Meanwhile, well planned new urbanist developments like New Town, offer residents an opportunity to drive less and walk to more services. In-fill condominium and loft style developments planned in downtown St. Charles, are bringing people closer to that business district.
We won’t be giving up our “magic carpets” any time soon, but we can certainly work to extend greater freedom of mobility to our Seniors who choose to no longer drive. And we can plan communities that make sense for America’s future...where jobs and services are closer to home...an America less dependent on oil sheiks and robber barons.
