"BUS STOP" the hollies
Much has been written about Laketran in the News-Herald over the past few days. (permanent, eternal levy) I can honestly say I have never had the need to ride Laketran. Sorry but I did ride the bus to a Browns game a few years ago. I see the community need for this service as that many in the community don't have private transportation.
Many scorn Laketran but it does serve a needed service. It's decisions like building the Taj Mahal of bus garages, and spending $250,000 to make a building 96% energy efficient more just seems like spending money, to spend money.
The buses that run into Cleveland should pay for themselves the government should not be subsidizing these riders. If costs should be payed by riders.
Now Laketran and Painesville?
All we have heard over the past few years are the number of non-emergency runs our fire department has to make to Tri-Point Hospital, it begs the question why Laketran doesn't have a scheduled bus to the hospital. It seems most major hospitals are served with bus transportation. Look maybe three scheduled routes from Painesville to and from the hospital in a day?
Just maybe those people that have no other way to get to the hospital just might take the bus?
Dial-a-Ride? I believe those rides must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.
Am I saying this will help with the non-emergency runs our fire department makes? I don't know but it is an approach the city should look into.
Than again maybe Lake Health doesn't want bus service to their facility.
This may not be the answer but is it worth a try?
posted by terminator1 @ 6:27 AM
16 Comments
16 Comments:
So you think they will take the bus? This is the dumbest idea you have come up with yet!
Painesville council is to blame...
Laketran was sold as a mass transit service for the County. With the exception of the big buses that go to Cleveland, what part of it is mass transit? The Dial a Ride is a tax payer supported taxi service, nothing more. Why not leave taxi service to private business? They certainly are not tax payer supported.
In that vein, I might not have a problem with the Laketran levy but I do have a problem with making it "forever". There is no way that we should saddle our children and grandchildren with decisions we make today. They should have some say in how their money is used at that time.
It is impossible to drive anywhere in the Painesville area for an hour without seeing at LEAST a half-dozen Laketran vehicles. IMO, that is far too many vehicles especially when they are empty or have one person in them. You think the tinted windows do anything besides attempt to hide this fact? Pay attention when you see the buses and see if I am incorrect.
We have to remember Laketran is in the service business. I believe there presently is a need to run bus servive to TriPoint Hospital.
It may or may not cut emergency runs for the city but at least it must be looked into. I believe Lake Health doesn't want transit to their hospital.
Eternity is a long time, I will agree with 7:31
I agree with Term, Laketran should make trips to Tri-Point. However, whether they admit it or not, the poor in Painesville are a big reason the hospital moved in the first place. The upper management did not want the residents getting service for free (or for cheap) so it was time to move.
Does anyone think Tri-Point management wants buses filled with poor people being dropped off at their facility?
Well, If you remember Lake Health is a not for profit operation. Meaning they don't pay taxes. Where should the poor people be dropped off at?
I have read a lot of negative comments in the media about Laketran, and I understand the reluctance of those with no need for this service to balk at subsidizing it. But as someone who plans a trip back to Painesville soon who does not drive (I live in a large city with good public transit and no need for a car), I've figured out (I think) how to get from the downtown Cleveland bus station to P'ville, and was rather distressed that--though doable--it involves no less than 3 buses (one RTA and two Laketran routes). My question is, to anyone who has tried this, how efficient is this. Assuming the buses are on time, I can make the relative connections with ease. But I hark back to a time in the 60's when you could take ONE bus from P'ville to Cleveland without changes (anyone remember those day? LOL). I'd appreciate if someone can give me some advice. Thanks!
Sorry, been there done that. Call LakeTran and ask them why they wanted no part of a run to the hospital. Post is right it's one of the dumbest ideas and you didn't do your homework since it was already vetoed by LakeTran. What makes you think they'll change their mind now? I don't understand why the library, LakeTran, DeepWood, etc. always pass yet any levy in this town is always defeated. Oh wait, the surrounding communities all vote yes and force us to pay. That's too bad, wish voters would wake up and start voting NO on those too.
It is shocking to me that people continue to support Laketran, the library, the senior center, and Lakeland, but in most of the County, you can't pass a school levy at all. I doubt the County would fall apart if Laketran went away. This is a driving area, not a mass transit area. This is another case where the 90%+ are subsidizing the 10%. Time for Laketran to go.
5:19 Well I learned something today. Did they give a valid reason not to run buses to Tri-Point?
9:14 You could make that argument for a number of government agencies. Air traffic controllers, Coast Guard just to name two.
10:56,
You are correct. It takes three buses to get to downtown from P'vll. and with limited hours. I have tried to use public transportation to get to the airport and gave up. As one who grew up using public transportation I find Laketran service to cuyahoga county from the eastern half of lake county dismal. I wish we could hop the train to Cleveland buy gosh those days are long gone too.
On a good note, my daughter used Laketran to get to Lakeland for a year until funding was cut and they eliminated the service after 6 or 7 pm. Then back to driving, as our family share a car it made thing difficult but we managed.
Good luck!
I have been sitting at Hillcrest Hospital all day and found out something new.
At 2:20 pm, Laketran bus #2905 pulled in with ONE person on board. My first thought was, why is Laketran serving Hillcrest, in Cuyahoga County?
Twenty minutes later, bus # 1203 pulls in with ONE person on board.
Since that time, I have seen two more buses (#1016 was one of them, no number from where I sit for the other) each with ONE person on board.
This is mass transit?
Why are Lake County tax payers subsidizing a personal taxi service??
Aren't there appropriate hospitals in Lake County?
Four buses for four passengers seems more than a little excessive.
I can't see any reason to vote for teh Laketran issue now.
I bet the people who were too sick or too old or for whatever reason needed Laketran to get to their appointments there think it was worth it. I don't know anything about those buses, so I have no idea if they could be more efficiently scheduled, but I can't think of a more important reason to use them. More and more people, especially the young people, want to use mass transit, while more and more old people need it, and in order to be the most vibrant area possible, we need to have it. And from some of the comments about people who want to use mass transit and how our system doesn't hold up, maybe it needs to be improved on, but definitely not stopped. Maybe they should have cars or smaller units for those one-on-one trips. Until you've walked in someone else's shoes...
3:04
One person for one bus (that could hold 12 to 14 people) and you wonder if they could use a smaller bus or more efficient scheduling??
Are you serious?
One person (heck, even four or five) is NOT mass transit).
Use cars or smaller units? Isn't that the taxi service I referred to?
Laketran buses providing taxi service into Cuyahoga County at tax payer expense and you think this is okay?
Again, these people can go to any of several hospitals in Lake County (including the state of the art Tri Point). Why do they need to travel to Mayfield at our expense?
I want to stress that I have NO problem with mass transit but this is NOT mass transit.
I believe both 3:04/12:46 are right. The size of the bus is probably to assist handicapped riders. and this is hardly mass transir.
First my only complaint with Laketran is they run on their schedule and not rider's .
Example I knew people riding Laketran out to Lakeland College to take night classes, Laketran cuts service hours back. Sorry those buses had riders not just one or two.
Along with how can you call yourself a transit company and you don't even serve Tri-Point Hospital and why not?
This is 3:04. I hadn't considered that they may need the larger buses for the handicapped. It stills seems that maybe they could customize the customer to the vehicle. And I think you are right, Term, that they seem to march to their own drum instead of doing what the public/area needs them to do, and also at the times they need them to.
For 12:46: This is obviously not just a mass transit outfit. They are also here to help the people who need help with particular appointments. I still can't think of a better way to spend my money. I think they need some serious reviews as far as what exactly are they doing and where and when, but I vote for them every time, and I will continue to do so. Not everybody is okay with Tri-Point, and I don't think they should be. If their doctors are elsewhere, that's where they are. It's healthcare, and nothing is more important to be done right. If they feel more comfortable/safe there, I will gladly pay for that. I know many people that Laketran came and picked up personally, including an elderly neighbor that could hardly walk. If you don't like it, don't vote for it, but I think it's a noble service whether it is being its mass transit side or it's one-on-one service. I'm for it both ways.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home