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Show educational promotions Guest Editorial accented. Data accumlated would serve to guide any future action. Should there be no increase (hardly likely) in passenger load, there would be a revenue loss of some $350 increase FARES ON REDUCED UTAH TRANSIT AUTHORITY (UTA) BUSES ( - 400,000. Any most likely) in passenger load would reduce the maximum loss correspondingly to zero. Perhaps there will be an end to empty buses . . and there just might be more happy people. (I, personally, do not believe there would be much more than a 30 increase within this short time. There must be other ask that the SLC Commission assert its influence and in conjuction with SL Samuel S. Taylor is an active member of the Model Cities Transportation and Highways Task Force. He has been an advocate for "free-far- e busing for sometime and serves in the Utah House of Representatives from District 15. by Samuel S. Taylor For the three years ending June, 1 973, SLC payments to the UTA will total $1,172,802; to subsidize mostly empty buses. This is an average of $2.20 per person per year or a total of $6.60 for the three years. For a family of 5, this averages to $11.00 per year or a total of $33.00 for the three years. THIS DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT TAXES ORIGINALLY PAID TO THE And still the social, problems of the immobility of the aged, the students, the poor continue unabated - unrelieved. (I must point out that the "Belt Route" uncompleted segments will be costing over $66,000,000 at today's figures . . to accomplish what?) the present bus fares are not conducive to bus use excepting environmental those who are captives. Neither new buses nor other by promotional endeavors have brought about any but the meagrest bus patronage increases. The gap between operating costs and passenger revenues increased this year, thereby, giving lie to the UTA contentions that its directorship is a success. The UTA can't pay for the purchase of even one bus on its own County, Midvale, Murray, South Salt Lake guarantee to the UTA the subsidy difference for any loss from reduced fares. The guarantee funds can come from the federal revenue sharing funds with the senior citizens, the poor, the students, the commuters and even the rich sharing in the funds and not just the handful of public employees. It is irresponsible of our elected officials to do otherwise. It is further irresponsible of our elected officials to see so much tax monies subsidizing the UTA go to such waste. Why should not little ol' men, little ol' ladies ride those forlorn looking, gas consuming, empty buses? Once upon a time, I was able to call the UTA auditor for information I wished. Suddenly, a Berlin-typ- e wall was established and no longer could call any UTA employee for information I $2.00 FOR $1.00 LOCAL It has no plans to extensively increase the number of buses in the next ten years other than replacements for its FUNDING FOR THE present inadequate system. And, now, due to my persistence, PURCHASE OF THE OLD SLC LINES, NEW TERMINAL BUI LDING AND 23 NEW Prospects are abject failure. BUSES. For these huge tax Commissioners, along with other SL County and cities' elected officials, are being asked to show aggressive, progressive leadership qualities by recommending to the UTA that there be a more bold, revenues. GOVERNMENT RETURNED A investments, not one SLC resident was permitted even one "free" ride. (And, of course, the same can be said for SL County, Midvale, Murray, South Salt Lake although in lesser amounts.) I n addition, SLC (and including SL County, the State of Utah and the Federal has authorized expenditures of untold hundreds of thousands of dollars for road Government) bleak. UTA is an imaginative approach to increasing bus patronage and, use of empty buses. First, all transfer charges should be eliminated. It is an outrage to charge 5 cents to more making inconvenience I stated that I'm "harassing" the UTA. have sought a more detailed accounting of revenues, costs, passenger loads, mileages. have Thru my persistence, received some but not all the he as information. I repeatedly to learn what the legal fees, if any, have been paid to Mr. William Oswald. I also wish to learnwhy, despite the UTA's financial problems. Fields and Oswald did not support the funding plan offered; why Mr. I Stan Darger (State Second, effective immediately, all fares should be reduced to 15 authorized not ending my campaign for offices are also in the Chamber of Commerce offices (as are UTA's), opposed the plan and why he opposed my resolution asking for a Legislative investigation into the UTA and its connections with private agencies (meaning the Chamber of Commerce) . wish to striping just to shorten a bottleneck at the corner but with the bottleneck continuing about a 100 feet further up the street. And still the deaths, injuries, pollution, illnesses and other auto-relate- d causatives continue. a cents even from the extended zones. (By this, I'm ACCENTING, transit.) Thirdly, e you turned down a plan that would have given you approximately the same amount e but with UTA operating buses. Oh, well! no-far- Final and the Model Cities staff regarding funding of projects. The task forces had developed priorities and lists of projects to be funded for the upcoming third action year. However, the amount needed to fund those programs was $3,921,597.00 with an additional $732,000.00 required for Model Cities administration, evaluation of projects and a citizen participation component. This would mean an expenditure of $4,653,597.00. The Salt Lake Model Cities program is only allotted slightly over $3 million per year so the trimming of proposed funding to fit the budget was the problem faced by the Council. Stan Holbrook, Council Chairman, urged members to "work toward a common goal" and explained some projects would have to be cut in order to have a program to submit to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for funding before the Agency deadline of January 1 , 1 973. Projects must be approved by the Council by October 31, 1973. Confusion over what they were expected to accomplish and strong feelings about pet projects were evidenced by Council Funding Decisions members during the lengthy meeting. Pete Grundfossen, Model Cities director, attempted several times to explain the need to agree on "ball park" figures which would enable the task forces to meet the following week Upcoming The Coordinating Council, representing the nine Model and come up with final recommended priorities. He emphasized decisions reached by the Council at this point would (Continued on pg. 3) Cities task forces and six have tried construction, repairs, widening, traffic police and traffic controls in a futile effort to relieve traffic congestion. Just days ago, SLC no-far- -- Thursday, October 12 to discuss recommendations made by, the Council's Executive Committee I Representative Darger), whose diagonal cutting through a corner lot at University Street and First Avenue which cost the taxpayers $34,250 (state purchase) for the corner lot and frat house plus $62,982 for the curbing, guttering, paving and million in taxes to give the senior citizens a savings of some $200 $300,000. That's no bargain. Yet, I passenger. a Harrison, auditor Jones and Mr. Oliver, the Legislature will be asked to fund the UTA with either a separate taxing authority or a sales tax increase with half the SLC's share of the increase going to the UTA but with only senior citizens being considered for a reduced fare. You want the Legislature to authorize $8 neighborhood councils met I Therefore, the Mayor and thereby, Phillips, -- had to go through Mr. William Fields, president of the board of directors of the UTA. Mr. Fields has arrogantly denied me much of have sought. the information FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE FEDERAL no-far- and Commissioners measures taken to get commuters out of the cars.) I It is no secret that the Chamber of Commerce wanted a sales tax but without earmarking for the UTA. Oddly, my plan would have offered over $4.2 million to the UTA after a general referendum from 60 earmarking of any sales tax increase. The increasing dollar value would have given the UTA some $6 million within 5 years. And the people would have benefited directly because of the e provision. Up to 275 buses could have been operated "fare-free- " on a countywide basis. Now, according to last vyeek's meeting between UTA merchants should be asked to validate bus receipts in the same manner as with parking . . and merchants should be asked to help subsidize the UTA. After all, the UTA serves more the downtown interests than any other area. order for a fair trial to ensue, it is urged that the reduced In fares be continued for a period of 6 months minimum with I know why the Chamber of Commerce of both Salt Lake and Ogden sent copies of their resolutions supporting mass transit received by the legislators on the 24th of January, 1972, three days after my funding plan was narrowly voted down. These resolutions were dated December 1, 1971 and December 14, 1971. The Model Neighborhood News is a publication of the Salt Neighborhood Lake Model Cities Agency under the supervision of the Joint Board Department of Housing and of City and County Commissioners with editorial offices located at 383 East 1700 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115. Publication of the Model News is made possible through a grant from the Urban Development. Publication of the newspaper is weekly with a distribution of 20,000 copies. For further or to register a information request or complaint on delivery of the newspaper, call 467-8014. Produced by the Communications Service Center, Inc. Marlene Marie Young, Editor and Community Information Specialist Distribution by Reliable Courier Kirk Terry, Staff Reporter Roger Taylor, Photographer Barbara Smith, Staff Reporter Laura Briggs, Staff Reporter Joint Board of Commissioners Ralph Y. McClure, Chairman Phillip R. Blomquist Stephen Harmsen Conrad Harrison Jennings Phillips William E. Dunn |