Dial-a-Ride Complaints Dominate OCTD Meeting

In decisions that will have the effect of slightly improving bus service in the south county, Orange County Transit District board members Monday approved a small increase in their operating budget and a larger boost in capital outlays.

The operating budget, which is used to pay for transit service, will be $82.5 million in 1987-88, up 2% over current spending.

Capital outlays--used to buy vehicles, equipment and buildings--will be increased by 44% to $25.8 million.

2 Supervisors Critical

Monday’s meeting was also marked by further controversy over dial-a-ride.

County Supervisors Roger R. Stanton and Don R. Roth, who sit on the OCTD board, have criticized dial-a-ride, which has about 1.4 million boardings annually, for providing young people and others with subsidized, “luxury” transportation to record and video stores.

Anyone can use the trip-by-appointment van service for a maximum cost of $1.50 during commute hours and 50 cents at all times for seniors and the disabled. The service, provided by privately owned firms under contract to OCTD, costs the district about $5 per passenger.

The district earmarked $7.05 million for dial-a-ride in the budget approved Monday, but Stanton said at least $3 million in subsidies could be saved by limiting the service to the handicapped and the elderly, while continuing to allow them to ride free.

The OCTD staff prepared a report that analyzed Stanton’s proposed dial-a-ride cutbacks and went along with a board consensus that favored retaining the service at current levels at least through September, when a more detailed study will be completed.

Report Angers Stanton

The report, written by William L. Foster, OCTD services director, said the changes proposed by Stanton would still result in annual dial-a-ride costs of about $5 million and could deprive some people of any type of public transportation.

Also, the district might be obligated contractually to increase payments to dial-a-ride operators to make up for decreased farebox revenue resulting from reduced passenger loads, the report said.

“This is really garbage,” Stanton told Foster during Monday’s regular board session. Stanton said the report was obviously the work of people intent on perpetuating dial-a-ride and was not an impartial look at the service.

After listening to Stanton try to pick apart his figures, Foster promised that the more detailed study due in September would consider various points Stanton had raised.