The LuLac Edition #4,232, March 4th, 2020

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

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Most of us who drive vehicles have no idea the hardships some commuters have in getting to their jobs or even planning an evening out. Bus consolidation has been discussed and this newspaper editorial from Times Shamrock was really eye opening and made sense.

BUS MERGER WOULD BENEFIT RIDERS AND TAXPAYERS

Officials from the transit agencies in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties have renewed talks about merging their operations, which could offer riders better service and save taxpayers millions of dollars.
As we reported Sunday, taking a public bus between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton is relatively cheap — $1.75 one way — but time-consuming, often taking more than an hour because of the stops in between. Many regular commuters prefer a more expensive $10 shuttle between the two cities via Martz Trailways, which can be as quick as 30 minutes.
But a merger might lead to a more competitive express inter-city bus line and more efficient routes between all locations in the two counties, good news for the regular commuters who rack up more than 2.3 million rides annually with the LCTA and COLTS.
A merger would also save each county roughly $600,000 in annual state-mandated matching funds, which would be waived for five years with consolidation.
More money could be saved by taking advantage of opportunities to pare administrative costs, duplicative services and payroll.
The merger of bus service in Berks and Lancaster counties saved taxpayers $1 million in each of its first five years and is still saving $200,000 annually.
There is local precedent for cooperation in transportation matters at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, which was conceived as a regional project 75 years ago and has thrived under the leadership of a joint board with members from each county.
PennDOT has urged local officials to talk bus consolidation before, most notably in 2015. Three years ago, Luzerne and Lackawanna counties formed a task force to revisit the idea. Those efforts faltered, as do many consolidation attempts in our region, mostly because of reluctance to give up local control.
But in weighing a merger, the interests of riders and taxpayers ought to be paramount and a sound argument can be made that both would benefit.
Officials from both bus agencies and our elected officials on a county and state level should take those benefits into account and get on board.