Editor,

1. Paratransit and bus cuts are required because we cannot afford a “fare free” transit system. Folks are in a bind resulting from Island Transit service cuts — mismanagement is the cause. Solutions must come from our transit system administration and board of directors. Public concerns and suggestions are needed. Transit users wonder why they cannot pay for, or toward, their needed transportation.

2. The Island Transit Board held an emergency meeting this past Friday morning; emergency route changes have been made and route reevaluations are underway. It will take three months to implement them. Meetings with transit users are being scheduled to explain, understand and fix the problems. It will take months to fix the money shortage. Management evaluation and board oversight are in progress. Hiring yet another consultant won’t fix the problems. That would take months and thousands of dollars. Changed administration philosophy and decisive board direction is needed now.

3. Transit administration and the board of directors share responsibility for the problems. They are scrambling to correct problems that would have been prevented by much closer attention to details for years. Providing needed transit services to the citizens of Island County can and must be done promptly.

4. Our previous state senator had facilitated special financial grants to Island Transit for years. That faded with her defeat. We must now operate our transit system like the rest of our state. Island Transit can generate the money for transportation services that had been unrealistically “fare free” for years. It had been concluded that asking transit bus and paratransit users to pay any part of the cost of their transportation was “confrontational.” Also, allowing advertising on transit vehicles was offensive to our “rural character.”

5. Island Transit administration and its board of directors must cause changes to our transit system that will provide practicable transportation services. Transit users must be allowed to pay something for transit services. Nothing is free.

RUFUS ROSE

Clinton