Step up for seniors

On Feb. 1, the City Coach Route 1 to Leisure Town was completely eliminated. “Leisure Town Connect”, the service prior to COVID-19, will also be eliminated. Leisure Town Connect service offered curbside pickup for Leisure Town residents.

Route 1 will be replaced by “City Coach Direct.” However, with City Coach Direct, the cost to seniors will quadruple — from $1.50 to $6 for a round trip.

Holy Toledo. How seniorunfriendly, high-cost, and in many cases, unaffordable.

All the City Coach fixed routes have a half-priced fare for seniors, except City Coach Direct. Once again senior-unfriendly.

Once before, in 2014, the Transit Department proposed eliminating public transit to Leisure Town. Its proposal caused an uproar and was quickly quashed.

How did the elimination of Route 1 get under the radar this time?

“City Coach Direct” is promoted as “a new and exciting” service for Vacaville. Were not the problems with City Coach Direct explained to the Vacaville City Council and at hearings? Namely, that no provision was made for seniors and for the low-income. It appears that the Transit Department is primarily concerned with the number of riders and fare-box revenue.

I've heard that the fare for City Coach Direct is still less expensive than a taxi. We are talking about affordable public transportation here, not taxis or Uber.

The question is whether or not the City of Vacaville will provide low-cost public transportation to its seniors and its low-income seniors.

There is a solution. Why not a senior fare for City Coach Direct to Leisure Town?

There is a catch: A federal requirement prohibits singling out any specific area. Why not a senior fare for all seniors riding City Coach Direct? There's another catch: Loss of revenue. City Coach Direct is expensive to operate.

Then, why not a one-half senior fare for City Coach Direct, as well as the fixed routes, with the shortfall in fare-box revenue made up from the City of Vacaville's budget?

Kansas City is one of over 100 cities worldwide that offers fare-free public transit. Kansas City, a metropolis of 490,000, began free public transportation beginning in 2020. Fares make up only 12% of funding. At the time, Mayor Quinton Lucas said the shortfall in revenue would be “$6 million” and that “we can find that somewhere” in the budget.

The vote by the Kansas City Council for zero-fare public transport was unanimous. What would be the loss in revenue by offering one-half fare on City Coach Direct for Vacaville seniors?

Lori DaMassa, Transit Coordinator City of Vacaville, who has been wonderful to work with, estimates that seniors make up 50% of the ridership of City Coach Direct. My estimate is lower. Let's use 50%.

The average City Coach ridership is 1,400 a month. Let's use 1,500. The shortfall in fare-box revenue would be $1125 a month or $13,500 annually. See addendum below. The City budget is $235 million. As Kansas City did, let the City of Vacaville “find” $13,500 for senior transportation in its annual budget. Currently, it is zero. “The City of Vacaville doesn't provide any funding for public transit.”

It's time for a change. Let the City of Vacaville step up, show concern for, and provide low-cost public transport for its senior and low-income citizens. — Robert Vahouny, Vacaville