To the editor:

On Sept. 27, 2010, the Lawrence Transit System cut effective service to The Merc without rider or resident input.

Citing “operational difficulties,” the T cut service from The Merc to downtown Lawrence, which is the transfer point for nearly all city bus lines. According to the T website, riders can take the No. 10 or No. 28 buses for service to The Merc, but the No. 10 stops at The Merc once an hour in one direction only, and the No. 28 bus doesn’t go downtown or operate on Saturdays.

The T website also recommends that riders walk to bus stops along Sixth Street from The Merc, an impractical solution for riders carrying bags of groceries since this is a half-mile walk on uneven terrain.

The Merc is now the only grocery store in Lawrence that isn’t effectively served by city transit. The Merc is also the only place in town where riders can buy bus passes after regular working hours.

At a time when the Lawrence Transit System is running shuttle service for KU football fans and congratulating itself for being named “the top transit system in Kansas,” it demeans itself by changing service without consulting the residents of the city it serves. I call on the T to restore previous service to and from the Merc, and I call on the city commissioners to investigate why the changes were made without resident consultation.

Jennifer A. Dropkin,

Lawrence