To the editor:

I noticed that the City Commission will keep the T open without shortening its operational hours, thanks to a proposed increase in property taxes. While I am not opposed to public transportation – and, in fact, am happy to help support it – I would feel a whole lot better about my obliged support if I could see more of the public being transported.

While I am sure there are riders on some buses (I have seen the number of reported fares released by the T), I see far too many buses on some routes without a person – other than the driver – on board. This is no exaggeration. Day after day, an “em-T” bus makes many rounds of the industrial park on the northwest side of town with no riders on board.

The T administrators should eliminate riderless route trips (said industrial park gets T patrons at the beginnings and ends of shifts, ONLY!), operational money could be saved and needless chipping into the touted 350,000-mile life expectancy for these buses would be prevented.

Keep the public transportation going but make it more efficient so the harried property owners can catch a break.

Scott Winters,

Lawrence