One of the things we at HAPCAP Transportation/Athens Public Transit get asked the most is “when will we have Saturday service again?” and we absolutely understand why.
For so many people in our community, Saturday is one of the most important days of their week. It’s the day they have time to go grocery shopping, visit their friends around town, check out the Farmers Market, or any number of things. Others, who don’t necessarily have the luxury of a “weekend” still need to go to work on Saturday, but have no safe or accessible way of getting there without Public Transportation.
As Mayor Patterson pointed out in his address to Athens City Council on Monday the 20th, there are many, many people in our community who need and deserve to have transportation on Saturdays.
With so many people using on Public Transportation (last year APT provided 343,264 rides) to travel in their community, the lack of Saturday service feels harsher than ever. The City of Athens has announced that if the current income tax increase on the ballot does indeed pass, then they will be able to provide the necessary additional funding (approximately $200,000) for some iteration of Saturday service to return in the near (2027) future. This idea was born through conversation and collaboration between the City of Athens administration and HAPCAP Transportation, and our two organizations working together with trust and dedication to the citizens of Athens.
When people ask us “why did you cancel Saturday service?” our answer is very simple: because we lacked the financial support necessary to maintain 6 days of service a week. This additional funding from the City of Athens would close that gap, and allow us to begin operating closer to the level of service that our community and neighbors deserve, and desperately need. While we would love to see other major stakeholders in Athens County contribute in the way that the City of Athens currently does (and plans to increase), we have to work within our means. Financial responsibility is a key tenet of our work in Transportation, and we have an outstanding track record of demonstrating that.
As the Mobility Coordinator at HAPCAP, my job puts me front and center of this issue on a daily basis. I work with people every day to help them navigate our community, and I have seen people lose job offers, go without food, or slip into a state of isolation because they don’t have access to transportation on Saturdays. It pains me and everyone I work with, every time we see this happen. To be able to provide our friends and neighbors with accessible, safe, affordable, and reliable transportation, is quite literally our number one goal. With the passage of this income tax increase, we would be able to do exactly that. As someone who pays property taxes, income taxes and sales taxes in Athens, I know that I will be voting “Yes” on this levy. While it will cause a (very) small decrease to my household’s income, it is absolutely, without question, worth it. Transportation is a key factor of everyone’s lives, nearly every day. Athens Public Transportation is for everyone, no matter their residency, affiliation, or age, and if you asked most anyone if being able to provide people with the freedom to exist and travel in their community however they want and need was a positive gain for everyone, I think it would be a very easy decision. Yes, it absolutely is.
Ben Ziff
HAPCAP Mobility Coordinator
Glouster, Ohio