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OPINIONS
Editorial: On new bus service and election year street paving
Regular, daily bus service between Pullman Square and the state Capitol in Charleston could begin before the end of this year.
Last Friday, Gov. Joe Manchin announced plans for a new bus service that would leave Pullman Square in Huntington at 6:45 a.m. and arrive at the State Capitol at 8:15 a.m. It would leave the State Capitol at 5:15 p.m. and return to downtown Huntington by 6:45 p.m.
The service will have between two and three stops in Huntington and Charleston, along with single stops at the Huntington Mall in Barboursville and the Crooked Creek Park and Ride in Putnam County.
It would run Monday through Friday. One-way fare will be $4 from Huntington and $3 from Putnam County.
Funding for the project comes from a three-year grant, 80 percent of which comes from the federal government. The remaining 20 percent will come from state funds. The plan is pending final approval from the Tri-State Transit Authority and the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority. The fact that the governor went public with the announcement is a good indication that TTA and KRT are likely to approve it.
Unless you have a car that gets exceptionally good mileage, you can't drive to Charleston for $4, so the service could make good economic sense for people who live in the Huntington area and work in Charleston. It could also be useful for people who need to spend most of a day in Charleston but who don't want to deal with the hassles of driving or parking.
Of course, the service will survive only if enough people ride it. But the same can be said for TTA's new service in Ohio and Kentucky.
People complain about the price of fuel. TTA's expansion into Ohio and the possible service to Charleston will see whether transit authorities are able to provide the service people want and need at prices that are attractive.
If for some reason people don't take to the new service in large numbers, transit officials shouldn't be too quick to pull the plug. They should ask if they are providing or are able to provide what the market wants.
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It happens every four years. Somehow, money is found to pave some streets in Huntington. What cannot be done in the other three years can somehow be done in an election year.
Don't take that wrong. People should be glad that four miles of city streets will be paved this year. The original budget proposed by Mayor David Felinton had no money for paving, but members of the city council -- primarily Councilman Jim Insco -- scoured the budget, taking a little here and there to come up with $430,000 for paving. Throw in another $27,000 from federal community development block grant funds, and 26 short sections of streets plus a city-owned parking lot on 10th Street will be paved.
People who live, work and visit in Huntington will be glad to see the work, but they will always wonder why the money is available only in an election year.
