Transit Advocates: OCTA needs to preserve Night Owl, first, last buses of the day; cut frequency instead

Here's an e-mail and a flyer from the Transit Advocates:

OCTA Bus Service Reduction Vote – Monday, June 8, 9 am

OCTA Headquarters, 1st Floor, Rm. 154, 600 S. Main St., Orange

Please get as many people as you can to attend this last meeting on the service cuts, even if they can’t speak.

Although we are against making any cuts, if on Monday we don’t prioritize which types of cuts we can live with and which are unacceptable, we will lose even MORE crucial service. After this meeting we will resume our campaign to address bus funding issues. Today, 3 options are being offered by OCTA staff:

Option A – 100,000 service hour cuts including cutting all Night Owl (24-hour) service – This is the staff recommendation

Option B – 100,000 service hour cuts but retain “Night Owl” service with last bus until (not departing) 1 am

Option C – 100,000 service hour cuts but retain all Night Owl (24-hour) service

We need to convey these 2 messages:

1. Retain night owl service with the last trip departing after 1 AM (”departing,” not “until”).
2. Retain all span (the first and last buses of the day)

It will not be pleasant, but most riders can wait a little more, crowd a little more, stand a little more, and walk a little more when frequency is reduced. If span or Night Owl service is cut, though, there are NO alternatives and we will be stranded. These are key points for ACCESS riders, because if span and Night Owl service are cut, ACCESS hours will also be cut.

To speak, just fill out a blue card at the door to the chambers with your name and Agenda Item “2” and hand it to the attendants or the Clerk of the board inside. Your name will be called during the public comment section of the agenda item. You’ll have only 3 minutes, so choose your most important points.

Remember that the board very rarely sees bus riders at the meetings, and when enough bus riders speak out, we can make a difference!

Possible new issue Monday morning:  After this September Service Reduction of 100,000 service hours, there are another 3 service reductions to follow in December, March and June of 100,000 hours each of additional service reductions. Some board members are recommending that these all be combined into 1 big 300,000 hour service reduction in December to get everything out on the table all at once. Let us know what you think about this.

See you at 9!  We'll get together just outside the building after the meeting.