Isn’t progress grand? The railroad overpass was recently opened and the state is working like mad to get the Mukilteo Speedway roadbed finished, and power poles moved to the new right-of-way width. Other areas where roads are in work are showing fewer barrels obstructing. If we keep moving forward, we will have enough new roads to last for at least five years.
Now, if we can just make the decision to furnish bus service to all people who would ride a bus if it were available, we would have made real progress. How about if all bus service was free? To stop and say that bus service does not pay for itself, is to stop. I never heard anybody who has really looked at any municipal service say it could pay for itself. Never has, never will. Whatever fee is collected from bus riders at this time is insignificant compared to what it really costs to operate the buses. The present system discourages everybody who would ride a bus for convenience. There is no convenience unless you are structured into your daily schedule to the degree that you can afford one trip to work and one trip from work each day. While this is a service, it is a minimum effort – one which will become increasingly expensive serving a minimum of customers.
A bus system would serve all neighborhoods, all day. Service all day means that if you wanted to run an errand, you could catch a bus any time within 20 minutes each way you might need to go, and the car would stay in the garage. You could save gas, save money, save your nerves and save the environment.
Even if the automobile you drive becomes environmentally friendly, we are facing a glut of traffic on all roadways for as long as we have – or can get – gasoline. Even if we all were to drive solar powered vehicles, there will be roads and roads and roads necessary to get from here to there.
Let’s ride a free bus system.
Mukilteo
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