This public forum is sponsored by the Tucson BUS RIDERS UNION Organizing Committee, call 520-624-0312 for more info.

I ride Sun Tran bus to go downtown to hear cases at Small Claims Court and do other work. After years of riding on the bus I well know that most of the people I ride with need public transportation at a low cost, as they are students (elementary, middle, high school, college), unemployed, disabled, commuters that can’t afford a car or the high cost of parking at a garage, those who don’t own a car/truck, job seekers, housewives & househusbands, families, bike riders, newcomers, etc.

Parking downtown is difficult & costly, plus using public transportation is environmentally sound. And I think that people in Tucson are too dependent on their cars, and need to explore alternatives such as biking, walking, using the bus or the proposed modern street car when it is built, taxi vouchers. Cars also are costly: the initial purchase, insurance, ongoing maintenance, fees & taxes, rising gas prices, radar enforced traffic tickets.

Perhaps the top City of Tucson officials –who live in the City– shouldn’t have car allowances but instead be provided with monthly bus passes (about $42/month), which would be a lot cheaper for the City budget. And this policy would actually support the City’s public transportation system – Sun Tran.

More info on Sun Tran: www.suntran.com.