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Federal rules hinder special event bus service

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By DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 - 12:44:13 am CDT

The future of those shuttle bus rides the city offers Husker fans for home games — on the Big Red Express — is up in the air, thanks to new federal regulations.

But the Holiday Lights Tours city buses offer as a gift to the community every Christmas are definitely a thing of the past.

Cities nationwide are figuring out whether to continue providing shuttle service to everything from football games to horse races under new federal regulations that prevent transit agencies from providing chartered buses if private companies can provide the service.

Story Photo
Passengers exit Star Tran buses after the 13th Annual Holiday Light Tour on Dec. 16, 2005. About 600 people rode 20 city buses around Lincoln. (LJS file)
StarTran board to discuss mayor's proposed budget

At its public hearing today, the StarTran Advisory Board will cover the mayor's proposed budget, which would cut many midday bus routes and expand the Ride for Five program.

Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union, who drive the buses, will attend to raise their concerns about the service cuts.

The public is invited to attend.

The meeting, which starts at 5 p.m., will be held in the City Council chambers at 555 S. 10th St.

Under a law that went into effect April 30, transit systems could lose federal funding if they use public buses for special events.

The law is intended to prevent public systems from taking business from private companies.

The rules will spell the end of the holiday lights tours offered by Lincoln for the past 16 years, and will require additional work for the city to continue offering the Big Red Express shuttle to home football games.

Big Red Express buses carry fans to Memorial Stadium from seven sites around the city.

StarTran head Larry Worth said the new rules required him to offer the game shuttle service to charter companies nationwide — and he did so July 7. Those companies have until Tuesday to indicate interest.

If a company wants to provide the shuttle service, the city can either let the company do it or provide the shuttle at regular bus rates of $1.25 one-way, rather than premium rates charged in the past.

In the past, the city has charged $4 one-way for adults and $2 for children — or $40 for season tickets. StarTran makes about $60,000 by charging premium rates, it said, and would lose about $80,000 if it charged regular rates.

“It’s our understanding that either way, we’re going to provide the service,” Worth said, referring to directions he’s received from the mayor’s office.

Worth think it’s unlikely local charter companies could do the gig, and doubts any from out of town could afford to bring a caravan of buses in for Husker games.

“They’d have to find 35 buses and 35 drivers for eight times a year,” Worth said. Just driving from Omaha would cost “a chunk of change,” he said.

Other cities around the nation decided to stop providing shuttle service rather than muddle through new rules: The Metro in Washington, D.C., will no longer provide shuttle bus service to Washington Redskins games and school field trips. The Maryland Transit Authority ended its shuttle services to Orioles and Ravens games in early June. And Tennessee Titans fans are being told to find another way to games.

One way or another, the Big Red Express will likely ride again.

But StarTran’s Holiday Lights Tours are over. The feds will no longer allow public buses to be used for sightseeing tours, Worth said.

For a small fee, city buses have been taking Lincolnites on a tour of particularly festive homes decked out in Christmas decorations for about 16 years. The tour itself is somewhat of a spectacle, with about a 20-bus caravan and police escort.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.


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Ben M wrote on July 17, 2008 12:56 am:
" Brilliant way for the federal government to support energy conservation, by making people drive individually to events. "

 FED UP wrote on July 17, 2008 5:50 am:
" This is a wonderful example of how out of touch Congress is out of touch with reality. They would rather take more money out of our pockets to pay for large busses to drive around with one or two people to ride and lose money. Lets get rid of any programs that try to make thid affordable. Makes a lot of sense to have more cars trying to find parking and drive more on $4 a gallon gasoline. What about College World Series in Omaha.
This just appears to be totally Stupid. Congress needs to have a little common sense instead of just listening to Lobbyists.
Does anyone think this is a good Idea? "

 Hjalmer wrote on July 17, 2008 6:21 am:
" Yet another example of bad policy changes. The object is to get people out of their cars not put more people in personal cars to transport them. "

 Govt wrote on July 17, 2008 6:38 am:
" Thank goodness the Feds are there to protect us from this travesty of public service.

Too many rules and not enough sense. "

 Robert wrote on July 17, 2008 7:12 am:
" Husker fans really have helped the city play an important role in energy conservation, leave it to Congressmen Fortenberry, Terry, and Smith to put an end to this model practice. LIBA should be furious with the Congressmen who have taken away a user supported service to the city. This is a loss of quality of life in our city and an importqant mechanism to show how mass transit can be a feasible part of the city infrastructure. Shame on you, Jeff, Lee, and Adrian; the Husker fans who lose this service and the Christmas activity are hurt by this in many ways..from environmental conservation practices to time and stress issues, this is a blow to Lincoln. "

 jb wrote on July 17, 2008 7:13 am:
" once again the feds butting in where they don't belong "

 Who Cares wrote on July 17, 2008 7:57 am:
" If people want to go to the stupid games, they can walk or carpool. Why should the city have to use city owned buses to transport you to the game?
Why not use the school buses? You already pay way too much LPS taxes, so lets get something out of it for a change. "

 Wait a minute wrote on July 17, 2008 8:22 am:
" This is NOT an unintended effect of the federal rules. This is a small group of municipalities looking for a fight. Their "league" recently decided this was a good one to choose for a public battle, even though their own lawyers said the new regs are aimed at cities using their buses for charter service, not public shuttle transport for special events. What a load of nothing. Handwringing and more which is just what the "League of unordinary municipalities" wanted. Don't believe this stuff, people. "

 JJ wrote on July 17, 2008 8:35 am:
" This concept can easily be spun as a public safety issue. Buses running on football saturdays cut down on traffic in an already congested and dangerous downtown Lincoln. In the interest of public safety for the citizens and guests of Lincoln, NE the city should run suttle service from remote areas of town to protect its patrons and prevent what will likely be lawsuits and accidents that cost the city and its people millions over the next few years. The cost of increased police presence and overtime working accidents from the increase in traffic for both the city and the state patrol will definately cost the citizens of Lincoln and Nebraska a lot of money. This service will not be taken over by private industry so Congress should stay the heII out of it. "

 to the democrats wrote on July 17, 2008 9:47 am:
" it is amazing that it is back to blame the republicans for this

DEMOCRATS CONTROL A MAJORITY IN CONGRESS!

let's look at reality and face it head on people. This was a bad policy decision made by a congress that is out of touch with America. Both parties are to blame for this one. If the democrats didn't like it, they have the majority and could have killed it.

stop the blame game "

 me wrote on July 17, 2008 10:21 am:
" Let's scrap the whole bus system. It's a total waste of tax payers money. With this new fed rule it's clear that it's a waste of time and money. So few people ride the thing. It would be interesting to see what the actual cost to the city is per rider. Wouldn't suprise me if it costs the city $10 every time someone gets on a bus. "

 JB wrote on July 17, 2008 12:00 pm:
" About the only time most Lincolnites ever ride a city bus. "

 kykp wrote on July 17, 2008 12:42 pm:
" What's the problem? Are we not Capitalists? If the service is needed and can be profitable a company will do it. If not, nobody will. Makes me want to go by a bus! "

 How in the world... wrote on July 17, 2008 12:43 pm:
" ...can you blame Fortenberry, Terry, and Smith for this? Did the article say that "Congress passed a law"? Did it say they voted for this law? The article says "new federal regulations"...probably issued by HUD or the Department of Transportation. Chances are good they have never had a chance to vote on this. Now, if somebody has some documentation that this is something they actually voted for, please provide it and I'll be the first one to retract this rant. But in the meantime, quit jumping to conclusions already. "

 its fair business practice. wrote on July 18, 2008 7:25 am:
" The use of city buses instead of private charter buses is unfair to the charter bus companies. They aren't taking away the shuttle idea. They are allowing fair business practices to remain in place. Come on people read the article. "

 Does anyone read wrote on July 18, 2008 9:46 am:
" This isn't a loss of services. It only says that the city can't provide the service if other companies will. The city has offered this service to other companies. If they don't want the service then the city will continue to provide it. Complain all you want but I happen to agree that local government should not be competing with local businesses. "

 Outside the Box wrote on July 18, 2008 11:33 am:
" This policy makes little sense. There are numerous cases where government offers the same services as private industry - overnight package delivery by the USPS and FedEx/UPS/DHL comes to mind.

The point of a free market society is to have options for the consumer and to let the consumer choose based upon price and service. If a private company can beat the service offered by StarTran for football shuttles, great. If not, then the city should be entitled to make a profit for providing a service. If the city takes a loss, the service goes away, and the consumer loses. "

 might as well wrote on July 31, 2008 1:54 pm:
" Might as well put the busses to some use. They are not being used during the week "

 LincolnMan wrote on December 31, 1969 6:00 pm:
" You can all thank yourselves for voting in a Republican representative. Isn't it YOU all (republicans) that say let private business do everything and NOT have the government involved, well you got your wish.tle, even though their own lawyers said the new regs are aimed at cities using their buses for charter service, not public shuttle transport for special events. What a load of nothing. Handwringing and more "

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