Rate hikes likely to hit disabled bus riders hard

Friday, Jan. 11, 2002 | 9:57 a.m.

The Regional Transportation Commission is raising fares for disabled riders of its paratransit bus service -- in some cases doubling the rates for morning and afternoon riders.

Paratransit serves about 9,000 area riders with disabilities that prevent them from taking the regular Citizens Area Transit "fixed-route" buses. RTC General Manager Jacob Snow told the commission board that rising costs and declining revenue are hitting his agency hard, forcing service cuts and fare increases.

The same fiscal bind has prompted the agency to consider reduced service hours on the regular bus system. Those cuts -- which would total about 75,000 operating hours on 30 different routes crisscrossing the Las Vegas Valley -- would take place in March.

June Devoll, RTC transit operations manager, said the agency will not eliminate any regular routes, but will cut the frequency and reduce hours of service.

"It will impact customers," she said. "We've tried to minimize the impact."

The paratransit fare increase goes into effect Feb. 10. Riders now pay $1 a ride, less than the $1.25 ride for a fixed-route bus.

The eight-member commission board voted without dissent to adopt the fare increase. Trips during peak use hours of 6 to 9 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. will go up to $2. One-way rides at other hours will increase to $1.50. Rides along the Strip, which are $2 for fixed-route passengers, will increase to $4.

Snow said the higher cost for the peak hours will encourage riders to choose travel during other parts of the day, periods when some paratransit buses now sit idle.

The board's approval of the staff-supported increase came after speakers criticized the new policy. Most said they did not have enough notice of the increase, and cited problems with the existing service.

Marva Williams was one of about a dozen people who protested the increase.

"I am disabled," she said. "I am on an extremely fixed income."

The paratransit rider said her wheelchair has been damaged getting onto the buses, and that some buses have failed to meet her for pickups.

"There's problems they need to straighten out rather than trying to get more money," Williams said.

Lisa Davidson, director of project services for Opportunity Village, a nonprofit group that provides employment to hundreds of locals with developmental disabilities, said most of her group's clients use paratransit, are on fixed incomes and will have trouble paying the extra fares.

"I know you have to make an increase of some sort (but) it would totally rule out their ability to get to work," Davidson told the board.

Las Vegas City Councilman Michael Mack and Boulder City Councilman Bryan Nix also expressed concern about the new peak fares' impact on working people with disabilities.

But Snow said the new fare structure has a way to limit the impact of the fare hikes: for the first time, regular paratransit users can purchase a $60 monthly pass for unlimited rides.

Previously, riders could buy a pass for $30, but it only provided 30 rides. RTC spokeswoman Ingrid Reisman warned riders that the $30 punch-cards would expire Feb. 9.

Riders can purchase the new passes for a one-time, reduced cost of $35 for the remainder of February, Reisman said.

Snow said one reason his agency can justify the higher rates is that performance is much improved over just two years ago. He said his agency also provides much greater service at lower prices than the law demands.

Under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, the bus system is required to provide paratransit service everywhere the regular buses go.

But the paratransit system actually covers about twice the area mandated by federal law. Also, the ADA allows the RTC to only provide a ride to the nearest regular bus stop and to charge double the regular bus fare.

The RTC board has always provided more than the theoretical minimum service, Snow said. However, the agency also is considering reducing service outside the federally mandated coverage area for paratransit.

The reason, RTC staff say, is the relatively high cost for paratransit service. Both fixed-route and paratransit service loses money. But the actual cost for the RTC is about $1.47 per ride on the regular buses, and $31 for a typical paratransit ride. A county sales tax subsidizes both.

But the sales tax revenue and ridership on the RTC's Strip service, which is one of the few routes that generates money, are both down since the Sept. 11 attacks affected the local economy, RTC staff members say.

Terry Cordell, RTC assistant general manager, said if the agency doesn't increase fares and reduce regular service it faces a $6.5 million deficit at the end of this fiscal year June 30.

Changes in paratransit policies should save about $1.5 million, to the fixed-route system about $2.5 million.

"Which still leaves us with a bit of a deficit," he said. The agency will have to borrow from a $5 million reserve fund to cover the rest, Cordell said.

RTC staff said further service cuts and fare increases may be necessary if the financial condition of the agency -- and the local economy -- don't improve.