new Kingsport-JC bus service (Johnson City: colleges, subsidized, public transportation)

[kamoshika]

Red Route 3X service is $5 per one-way trip and connects to the Johnson City Transit Service at its office in downtown Johnson City.

...NET Trans Red Route 3X service will be offered Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6:05 p.m.

...NET Trans will also offer a $50 monthly pass for unlimited trips between cities.
KATS launching new route, JC link- Kingsport Times-News

[jchometeam]

They may lose money with that route.

[jabogitlu]

I don't think profitability is the main goal of public transportation. Heck, even roads are subsidized.

[jchometeam]

But its a great excuse to get rid of it quickly.

I actually think that public transportation should at worst break even, at least at the local level (meaning not subsidized by the city). If grants and fees cannot pay for the routes to break even, they need to go. But that all depends on your political perspective i guess.

[jabogitlu]

It is an excuse to get rid of public transportation, but I'm not sure it's a good one. In this area, our political leadership has opted to push strongly for a decentralized, spread out form of development that exacerbates the difficulties experienced by people who, for whatever reason, do not have personal transit. My perspective is that in such a situation, local governments (aka local subsidization, I suppose) should work extra hard (pay even more in fees) to make up for a lack of density created by their decisions.

I agree, though, that it depends on your political perspective.

[rccrain]

Should libraries and city parks "break even" too?

[jchometeam]

Essentially yes. Parks I could see, I see no need for a public subsidized library. I know I am in the minority, and I dont mean to get into a political debate that is unrelated to the topic at hand. But I am basically a libertarian when it comes to the amount of things that we need to take certain people's money for, and use them for whatever the government determines is a better public good. Library's for colleges, for example, is fine as they are getting a revenue stream to pay for the books and journal subscriptions. And I have no problems with library's and public transit, etc., but they should charge enough that I am not paying for other people's uses of these services.