Public Notices
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PRIOR LAKE AMERICAN/November 27, 2010/Page 5 Churning BRUSH! back time It’s a wise choice. Jennifer Hansen, a fi rst- grade teacher at Red- tail Ridge Elementary Eckart School, serves a Thanks- giving feast to fi rst-grad- Dental Center ers Justin Simonson, 7, Alexa Golle, 6, and David C. Eckart, D.D.S. 300 E. 1st Ave., Shakopee Charles Running, 7, all 445-1352 www.eckartdental.com of Savage, on Tuesday 042266 afternoon. The students churned their own butter, made cornbread and enjoyed a meal outh Metro Marine together as a way to S learn about and remem- & ber the national holiday, Motorsports as well as be thankful for everything they have. Snowmobile & ATV Repairs (Photo by Shawn Hogen- Winterization – Runabouts, Fishing dorf) Boats, Pontoons, Personal Watercraft Storage – Inside/Outside VALUABLE COUPON Tune Up YOUR TURN $12500 Opt-out bus systems present tough choices Plus Parts Suburban, opt-out bus to things that cost money. cleaning, fueling and routine Call to schedule appointment for service systems are getting a black Two examples: preventive maintenance 952-758-8638 • Cell: 612-720-2639 • Call for directions eye for their higher subsidies: Miles traveled equal inspections, work that is more 895 E. 260th St • New Prague $4.28 per passenger for dollars of expense (more often done at night. At intersection of Cty. Rd. 2 & Hwy. 13 – southeast corner of roundabout suburban riders compared to miles, more expense). Yet Midday storage and 181102 $2.20 per passenger for Metro some suburban express servicing are a common Transit. services operate more practice at other large transit But, as we saw last month, nonrevenue, so-called systems, and a few of the subsidies don’t tell the whole deadhead miles than revenue suburban systems and Metro story. It’s just as important to miles. Deadhead mileage is Transit have made use of it, look at operating costs – where the distance a bus travels but it is still the exception the rubber meets the road. empty going to/from the rather than the rule, and more And herein lies the problem. garage to the point where of it could be done. Unlike Minneapolis and St. it goes in service and starts Local suburban routes Paul, which grew up around collecting fares. and dial-a-rides are another a street railway system John Diers Consider this unnamed, issue. Most of them do useful that spurred development unspecifi ed, but real, work by linking residential along transit corridors, the situation: neighborhoods with regional suburbs grew up around Can the region afford A bus departs its home employment and shopping roads and freeways that seven transit systems? Does it garage, runs not in service centers, park and rides and encouraged low-density, need them? (empty) 12 miles to its fi rst the downtowns. They are an dispersed development, which Short of abolishing the stop, a park-and-ride lot, loads important way for people to is diffi cult, and expensive, to opt-outs, there are other, passengers, and then heads get home in the middle of serve with public transit. As perhaps less draconian 15 miles downtown. It may the day when express routes a result, suburban services measures that would produce make one or two more stops don’t run. They also provide will always be at a cost savings by combining and before getting on the freeway. alternative transportation disadvantage when compared consolidating administrative Once downtown, it turns for seniors, the disabled and to their urban kin. functions under the Met around and returns empty to those who can’t, or choose not These operating costs, Council and Metro Transit, the garage, 20 miles. The cycle to, drive. Being careless in the and the opt-outs, will get while preserving the repeats itself in the afternoon suburbs is a real hardship. 220312 plenty of attention in the policymaking identity of each for a grand total of 30 revenue There are others, however, upcoming legislative session. system. Some of these include miles, carrying people and that carry few passengers, A report from the Offi ce of bidding service provider collecting fares, and 64 don’t go where people need the Legislative Auditor is contracts, purchasing, nonrevenue miles, running to go, or connect with other due in January. It is certain bus maintenance, service empty. Multiply this times services, but cost just as much to be controversial given planning, marketing, risk four or fi ve buses per route, to run as those that do useful the current budget crisis. management, personnel, times 220 business days a year, work. Policymakers face some customer service and safety. and the costs get pretty steep. Cost and subsidy diffi cult choices. Here are a Most of these are carried out The best solution is to standards would weed them few of them. separately by each system. locate the garage on, or near, out. One alternative that has Purchasing, in particular, the route, but that’s diffi cult, I don’t envy those who will We want to offer you the best been discussed would abolish would bring savings because garage facilities have to set priorities and make the opt-outs and bring all through standardized bus typically serve multiple routes decisions, but there’s a lot at experience under the sun! transit services under the procurements, fuel contracts, and hold dozens of buses. stake and a huge state budget Metropolitan Council and tires and bus parts. Major Finding a suitable site is a hole to fi ll. Changes are coming Metro Transit. The opt-outs mechanical work such as compromise. Garage facilities to all government services. We are excited to once had their own taxing collision repairs, painting, are also expensive to build. What form they will take is welcome back Debi Malz to powers, but that autonomy engine and transmission Another alternative anyone’s guess, but transit will our Team of travel experts disappeared in 2001 and, with overhauls could be performed is to park and store buses likely be among them. it, an important reason for at Metro Transit’s main shops, downtown after the morning their independent existence. among the largest and most rush hour and return the John Diers is a Prior Lake Arguably, these separate modern in the country. drivers to their home garage resident who spent 40 years Gobble up some operations, each with its own The Legislature might, on a single bus. Driver labor working in the transit industry policy board and operating also, require that the Met costs would go on, but there and author of “Twin Cities savings at and administrative staff, Council adopt regional cost would be less wear and tear by Trolley: The Streetcar Era present a balkanized approach and subsidy standards for on the buses and substantial in Minneapolis and St. Paul.” Travel Leaders to delivering a single regional routes and services and fuel savings – transit buses To submit questions or topics Riviera Maya NO PASSPORT REQUIRED Iberostar Paraiso Beach Resort - 7 mts from $1199.99 service and another layer of require that the opt-outs and typically get 5 to 6 miles for Diers, e-mail Prior Lake Hawaii - Honolulu Ocean Tuquesa Coral by H 10 - 7 nts from $1029.99 government that’s ripe for Metro Transit meet them. per gallon. This would also American editor Lori Carlson Hilton Hawaiian Village - 5 nts from $1044.99 Cozumel consolidation. That means paying attention allow time in the midday for at [email protected]. Fiesta Americana Dive Resort - 5 nts from $779.99 Las Vegas Los Cabos Mandalay Bay - 3nts from $344.99 Riu Santa Fe - 7 nts from $1099.99 Excalibur - 3 nts from $384.99 Jamaica Orlando Super Fun Beach Resort-Adults Only- 5nts from $814.99 Disney Port Orleans - 5 nts from $849.99 A weekly look Riu Negril - 7nts from $1299.99 at what makes us cheer and sneer Travel Leaders Shakopee Travel rants&raves 16731 Hwy. 13 S., Suite 108 A, Prior Lake • 952-445-6463 www.shakopeetravel.com 204722 From readers I’m going to enjoy the quiet period between installments of the reality dance competition and hope that a voting scandal WHAT’LL IT BE? doesn’t erupt on “Skating with the Stars.” – Meryn Fluker Rant: “California is the next test for the ‘too big to fail’ theorists to try selling to Congress. What’ll you have, tea or DUMMIES NEED NOT APPLY Public Notices Kool Aid?” Rave: One of the many (yet more menial) things I am thankful for this holiday season is that the Vikings’ ownership GET IN THE POOL CITY OF PRIOR LAKE branches that may cause the tree or has fi nally kicked Brad Childress to the curb, albeit two years ORDINANCE 110-06 tree part to fail, and such failure Rave: “The adult Community Education program is one too late. After years of scratching my head at nearly every AN ORDINANCE may cause property damage or of many pluses in the Prior Lake-Savage communities. My decision Childress has made over the last couple of seasons, RESCINDING SECTION 309 OF personal injury. husband and I are three years new to Prior Lake, and I have it’s nice to have some peace of mind that those who carry THE PRIOR LAKE CITY CODE Any hazardous tree on any utilized this source to get to know people as well as to keep the power in the organization have been watching the same RELATING TO BADY ART private property, which if it fell may ESTABLISHMENTS land within any public right-of-way active. I especially enjoyed the new Salsa Splash class this fall.