Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) system upgrade

Wed, 2006-01-25 19:16 — joemoraca

If you want the Sarasota County Area Transit site go here

Growth is happening ... more people and more cars are real. We need to be working on solutions. Part of that is better urban design... and a very important part is a better mass transit system.

It's good to know that Sarasota County (which us city residents pay our fair share of taxes to) is working on improving the bus system.

South county Sun-Herald has a story on recent upgrades to the SCAT bus system schedule..

Alan Hoffman, a consultant for SCAT with The Mission Group, told commissioners that they need to look at their transit system in a different way, and it should be done in three phases.

The first phase would be to reinforce the existing system.

Sarah Blanchard, of county Public Works and SCAT, said Stage No. 1 of the future growth will begin by March and include more frequent bus service on U.S. 41 between the city of Sarasota and Manatee County.

....

SCAT officials expect the changes to increase ridership by as much as 25 percent in the coming years.

SCAT currently averages 1.8 million riders each year with the goal, 2.25 million.

Comments

Tue, 2007-09-18 20:11 — ted (not verified)

busses running empty

Your ignorance is showing. Scat has moved over 2 million riders in the past year.How do you do that running empty buses. At certain hours of the day, our buses are not @ full capacity. Having said that, I know that our service is much needed in Sarasota county. How do I know? Simple, all the riders tell me. You see , I am a SCAT bus driver. We can't all just live on our pensions from Other places. Have a good night.

Sat, 2007-07-07 18:25 — Mark Edgington (not verified)

Swanson If I wanted

Swanson

If I wanted something for nothing I why would I propose getting rid of the bus system? That is a non sequitur, it doesn't make sense. I propose to get rid of the bus system because it is a faulty concept. If it made financial sense, we would have a privately run bus system, but now one can't because how can one compete against a bus system that is funded by force. I'm not against buses, I'm against silly boondoggles.

Regarding me working to do away with this boondoggle, I knew I was leaving Sarasota for the Free State Project ( freestateproject.org ) . So I saw no reason to worry about that or anything else in Sarasota. It is your problem. Enjoy paying for crap you don't use, and never asked for.

Sat, 2007-03-31 07:22 — J S Swanson (not verified)

Reply to Mr. Edgington

Mr. Edgington is a something for nothing type of whinner, His real grip isn't the bus system its the fact that the taxes here are very high. To that no-one will argue. But to take his frustration out on a much needed service in Sarasota county, the bus system is NUTS!!!. Mr Edington is tired of pay for any thing that is done by taxes, the only thing that keeps him from NOT PAYING his taxes is fear of loosing his property. His real argument is his doesn't want to pay for things he doesn't use regardless of the effect on the lives of others. If Mr. Edgington wants to do something about the taxation here in Florida, he should study, this requires effort, the Proposition 13 movement that caused the revision of tax laws in California a number of years ago, rather than whinning about paying taxes for things he doesn't use.

Tue, 2006-11-14 20:39 — bear718 (not verified)

think before you speak

stop being an ass..not everyone like yourself is rich and can afford to buy a car and drive to work everyday

Wed, 2006-09-13 08:37 — Visitor (not verified)

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

AH SO MR MARK EDDINGTON. YOU COME OKLAHOMA. NO BUS HERE.
YOU MONEY GO TO CORRUPT OFFICIALS FOR ARENAS NOBODY USE.
IT COLD AND DUSTY HERE IN WINTER. YOU LIKE. MANY MANY PEOPLE LIKE YOU HERE. DRIVE CAR ALOT. YOU GET KILLED ON HIGHWAY 169 DRIVE TO WORK FOR NOTHING AN HOUR...

HELL MAN I'D PAY EXTRA TO LIVE IN SARASOTA AND RIDE THE BUS.

SARASOTA GOOD OKLAHOMA BAD

Tue, 2006-09-12 07:42 — Dorothea (not verified)

Mass Transportation

How wonderful you do not need to use the SCAT system. That means you are able to afford a car. My son rides his bike to the bus stops after work so he can ride the bus and come see me, as I am a widow and I also care for his dog. You probably live in a nice house also so you feel we don't need affordable rentals for the working class people who have to make it on menimum wage. You probably approve that the homeless can no longer sleep outside, but won't spare a dime to build them more indoor facilities. I hope you thank God every day for all your blessings as yo probably have many. I am happy for you.

Fri, 2006-08-11 23:52 — Visitor (not verified)

All mass transit is that

All mass transit is that way. It is a service. Tell the people who have no other means of transport that it is not needed. Mass transit is not a money making endeaver, anywhere.

Sat, 2006-01-28 11:40 — joemoraca

where did the road come from you drive your car on

... I guess I can't really agree with you since I wrote the article of support for the buses.. but as we live here today we are paying for several trasportation options ...

even when I ride my bike I am using "public" subsisdised roads..

PS I was listening to FreeTalkLive podcast this morning... maybe while you were typing..

Fri, 2006-01-27 21:59 — Mark Edgington (not verified)

SCAT is a SCAM!

Public Transit is a ridiculous boondoggle. These buses ride around town nearly empty, burning mucho diesel and our tax dollars like they are free. These burdens on our already astronomical taxes need to be stopped and sold off immediately. In many places things called jitney cabs service the people who actually want these services. I for one am tired of paying for this "service", but if I choose to stop paying for this "service" the County will put a lien on my house and eventually TAKE my property. If mass transit is something that is really needed here in Sarasota, some aspiring entrepreneur will make a fortune providing it.