With many tough budget decisions on the table this year, Lawrence city commissioners will be forced to look at all options to trim spending and staff.

It’s all a matter of priorities, of course, but it seems like the wrong time to cut services provided by the T public transit system.

For the last several years, the system has depended heavily on money from its fund balance account to finance its operations, but that money now is almost gone. Cliff Galante, the city’s public transit administrator, told city commissioners this week that without about $450,000 in new funding for 2008, the T would have to quit operating on Saturdays, shut down two hours earlier on weekdays and run routes on a far less frequent schedule. Galante’s contention that “there will be very few people who will find our service to be convenient for them if we have to make these cuts” doesn’t seem like an overstatement.

The cuts would mean that buses wouldn’t run after 6 p.m. and neither fixed-route nor paratransit service would be available on weekends. The elimination of four buses would mean that fixed routes would run on 80-minute cycles, instead of the current 40 minutes. For people who have no other transportation options, the cutbacks easily could prevent them from holding on to jobs or accessing needed medical care.

Early on, Lawrence’s bus system was nicknamed the “Emp-T” because of its low ridership and continues to be criticized as a waste of city resources. It’s unrealistic to think the bus system can ever operate without subsidies, but ridership has increased dramatically and it provides an essential service for many residents.

Low-income or homeless people trying to get back on their feet financially may have no other way to get to work. The same goes for young people working their first jobs. Chain restaurants and other businesses that provide such entry-level employment need people who can work after 6 p.m.

The growing retired population in Lawrence also is a key ridership segment. For those who no longer want to – or should – drive, the bus system offers a level of independence that may allow them to remain in their homes and care for themselves. The bus system also can give local youngsters whose parents can’t provide transportation better access to various recreation and enrichment activities such as the public library and swimming pool.

The T is not an inexpensive service, and it likely will get more expensive when the city has to renegotiate its contract with the bus’s operator next year. That’s why it’s important for city officials to continue to pursue partnerships with the Kansas University bus system as well as with Haskell Indian Nations University, the Lawrence public schools and major employers in the community. It also makes sense to move ahead on increasing bus fares from 50 cents to $1, which is still a bargain.

As the cost of gasoline and maintaining streets and highways continues to climb, well-run public transportation systems will become increasingly attractive to many riders – even those who own cars. Lawrence’s T isn’t perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction. It would be unfortunate if budget pressures force it to take a major step backward.