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Dear Editor: To the 32 citizens that registered and 56 citizens who came to testify Tuesday night before the City Council on bus fares:
Thank you. You were brave, you were eloquent, you spoke from your hearts and your heads. You spoke even though your voices shook. You waited hours for your five minutes in front of the microphone. Many of you have no other transportation options and told us how a fare increase would harm your budget; others talked about making an affirmative choice to ride the bus because it reflects your values. You spoke for the environment, for clean air and combating global warming. You spoke for increasing ridership and reducing traffic. You spoke about equity and about how Metro is a basic city service. You gave us a long list of ideas for how to avoid raising fares ndsh including some of you being willing to pay more on your property taxes. Some of you spoke in favor of the fare increase -- although mostly because you are worried about service cuts. You held out a vision of what our city could and should be -- a city that prioritizes transit that is convenient and accessible to all. You also spoke in support of your fellow citizens that volunteer their time on the Transit and Parking Commission and asked us to respect the hours of work they put into making their decision. Thank you. I want you to know that at least some alders take your input seriously and appreciate the time and effort you put in to give it. I'm really sorry we didn't take your advice and that 11 of my colleagues (the thinnest of majorities) voted to raise fares.
Satya Rhodes-Conway, District 12 alderwoman
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