Keith Benman, Times of Northwest Indiana
keith.benman@nwi.com
Everybody Counts, a group representing people with disabilities, on Monday became one of the first organizations to formally announce its opposition to the formation of a four-county regional transportation district.
Everybody Counts is opposed because the legislation authorizing the district does not make provisions for input from current bus riders and in particular the disabled, said Everybody Counts Executive Director Teresa Torres.
"There is absolutely no provision in its development to make sure people who will be directly affected will have input in its decisions," Torres said.
Torres said the same is true of current transit providers such as the Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority and others. Everybody Counts recently signaled its intention to go back before a federal judge to seek enforcement of a 2007 settlement forcing area transit agencies to provide adequate services for the disabled.
House Bill 1607, authorizing a regional transportation district, was passed by the Indiana General Assembly in its special session in June. On Nov. 3, voters in Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph counties will get to vote on whether the new transit superagency should be created.
If created, the board of the regional transportation district would have the right to impose an income tax of up to 0.25 percent.
House Bill 1607 does provide for some rider representation on a bus service board and a commuter rail service board, but it does not provide directly for such seats on the regional transportation district board.
Torres said her organization plans to recruit others to oppose formation of the regional transportation district and will hold a series of public meetings. Torres made her announcement Monday during the public comment period of the monthly RBA meeting at The Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus.
The RBA in the spring endorsed legislation calling for creating a four-county regional transportation district, months before it was passed by the Indiana General Assembly.
On Monday, RBA officials repeated their support for the legislation, though they acknowledged it faces opposition from many voters.
"Something has to be done for funding it (mass transit)," said RBA Vice President Stephen Adik. "There are no other alternatives on the table for permanent funding."
Also Monday, the RBA did not release a report on consolidating bus services in Hammond, East Chicago and Gary as planned. The board was one member short of a quorum, so it could not vote on releasing the report.
The report by consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff states that about $350,000 could be saved by consolidating bus services in Hammond, East Chicago and Gary, said RBA Executive Director Tim Brown.
The report also makes several suggestions on permanent funding sources for bus service, Brown said. Those include a food and beverage tax, an income tax and other alternatives.
The earliest the consolidation plan could be fully implemented would be the middle of 2010, Brown said.
East Chicago to get new transit director
Jose Bustos, 57, currently director of East Chicago's Jobs, Education and Training program, will become the new executive director of East Chicago Transit on Aug. 1.
He will take over the job from Francisco Rosado Jr., 52, who will take an administrative position in human resources for the city.