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Show Dili ilG8 1G BBS In 1974 voters in Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties approved a one-fourth cent sales tax to finance mass transportation. THE VOTE was a result of a long and untiring effort on the part of Representative Sam Taylor (D) Salt Lake, who had worked for years to improve the public transportation system sys-tem in the metropolitan counties coun-ties of the state. "If the bill came before me today I would veto it," said Representative Taylor last week. "The taxpayers are being be-ing ripped off and given a bad deal." MR. TAYLOR provides exhaustive statistics to show that the current low fare system sys-tem is too expensive. What he wants is for the transit system to become entirely no-fare. "Other cities which have tried this have had ridership jump as much as 300 per cent. This brings the cost per ride way down, reduces the use of cars in the downtown area as much as 7 per cent and helps to eliminate some of the pollution." pollu-tion." UTAH Transit Authority is opposed to Representative Taylor's no fare proposal because they say they need the income from the fares, which amounted to $104,216 in the month of December, 1976, but Mr. Taylor says the subsidy per ride of $1.65 per mile per passenger is way out of line. "If we had no-fare, people would ride the bus. In Seattle, they have found that businessmen business-men who have to go somewhere some-where during the day hop on a passing bus instead of getting the car out. FAMILIES ride downtown and back. Elderly people who would be homebound can ride a bus without cost. It is the only economically way to go." It is true the number of passengers pas-sengers riding busses has increased, but so did the cost, which Representative Taylor says are excessive for value received. AT THE time voters agreed to subsidize the mass transit system, they were faced with the choice of subsidy through taxes or no bus service since the Utah Transit Authority was on the verge of bankruptcy. Poor service, high fares and antiquated busses had combined com-bined to make a downward spiral in use and quality of service in the mass transit system. UTAH VOTERS agreed to the necessity for bus service and have been paying taxes to subsidize the mass transit system. Representative Taylor says they have been paying through the nose. He says there were "scare tactics" used to create fear in the minds of the public that no fare rides would fill the busses with "kids, hippies and drunks." OTHER cities where the no-fare no-fare has been tried has not found this type of use markedly increasing. They have found increased use by the elderly, the low income and youth, but they have also found that many business people begin to use the bus. "We had a trial over the Fourth of July weekend," said Rep. Taylor. "The passengers jumped 300 per cent, but UTA said this was just because it was a novelty and a holiday." HE HAS an uphill fight to get other legislators to support his no-fare concept, but Representative Taylor is not one to give up when the going is tough. After all, who ever heard of subsidized bus service ser-vice before he began urging it in 1971? If the public begins to be aware that the fuel shortage is real and is here to stay, it may well be that the voters will demand free bus service. It may even be that some type of bus service will be extended to places like Provo, American Fork, and even San Juan County. IN ALL these places, there is no public transportation, and in outlying areas of the state, there is no way except private automobile to get there from here. |