Update on Lee County Transit Task Force--by Dan Moser

Dan Moser, member of the BikeWalkLee Steering Group, is a member of the County's Transit Task Force and provides the following update for BWL readers:

After seven or eight meetings we're finally getting down to the meat of our task: making recommendation(s) for long-term funding that will allow LeeTran to play the role that's necessary for making our transportation system as efficient and accessible as the MPO has agreed it should be. There appears to be solid support for moving in that direction.

Considering how conservative many citizens are in our community are there may be an inclination for some to take the position that transit isn't something anyone other than users should be paying for, ignoring, of course, that fact that all transportation costs are borne by everyone in one way or another. Those of this mindset also seem to reject the facts related to other benefits, such as reduced pollution and less need to widen roads due to congestion. Ironically, the fiscal conservatives who are resistant to properly funding transit are actually going in the opposite direction of saving tax dollars since there are known and quantifiable savings related to transit. And over the many meetings we've had, the details of this fact has been noted more than a few times by our presenters. Because the Transit Task Force is trying to make its recommendation(s) as a result of full consensus, let's hope there are no spoilers lying in wait.

We'll keep you posted as the task force develops its recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners.