Bus Riders Union of Austin, Texas | El Sindicato de Pasajeros

Bus Riders Union campaigns to stop latest fare hike
Union members fight for improved efficiency and less traffic congestion

Anderson Rodriguez
Daily Texan Staff

Published: Monday, June 8, 2009

Updated: Monday, June 8, 2009
Bus Riders Union

link to article: http://www.dailytexanonline.com/state-local/bus-riders-union-campaigns-t...

The Bus Riders Union of Austin cited dwindling reserves, fare hikes and service cuts as the main concerns facing the riders dependent on public transit in a working proposal to the Capital Metro Transit Authority.

A small group of union members met Saturday morning at the Austin History Center to debate the proposal which it plans to submit within the coming months. Founded in fall 2007, the group was organized in protest of Cap Metro’s plans to increase bus fares. The union achieved its goal of preventing the fare increase by appealing to the general public via local media coverage and grassroots campaigning.

The group hopes to achieve the same success with its “Free and Faster Buses” proposal, which is geared toward making the transit system run more economically and with improved efficiency. The union claims that the benefits of its proposal will include an increase in the amount of riders, alleviation of traffic congestion, improved air quality and “maximum mobility” for Austin residents.

Union member Bobby Rich said Austin should catch up with the mass transit systems of other major metropolitan areas.

“The people in charge of Capital Metro don’t even ride the bus,” he said. “They don’t know how it is out here.”

Rich said he thinks some of the most heavily populated routes should run at all times and hopes the proposal will alleviate overcrowding.

Based on information gathered during the 2006-2007 fiscal year, the union estimates that re-organization of the transit system would allow Cap Metro to give UT a rebate of about $1.5 million.

A member of the group said membership and attendance rates are generally higher when “hot-button” issues, such as fare increases or severe service cuts, are announced by Cap Metro to the general public.

Cap Metro’s human resources department said the department is in no way affiliated with the union and has had no direct meetings with the group regarding its latest proposal.

Cap Metro has a Customer Satisfaction Advisory Committee, composed of 12 to 18 members of the community appointed by the Cap Metro Board of Directors. The goal of the committee is “to assist in developing and maintaining a transit system that is convenient, dependable and practical.” The union said it is not content with the advisory group’s work and instead supports an independent audit of Cap Metro by the Texas State Auditor.