Politics & Government

Officials Eye Subsidized Taxi Cab Service for Circulator Riders

Many questions remain, such as who would get subsidies; who decides who would get them and who would pay for them.

The once-popular RTA may not be coming back to Lakewood, but officials are talking about a progressive proposal that would provide specialized transportation using a subsidized taxi-cab service.

Mayor Michael Summers met with RTA President Joe Calabrese last week to talk about options for the former riders of the route.

Including the subsidized cab service.

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“It’s more efficient,” Summers said. “It’s a small car with one rider. It’s more service to the person getting dropped off right where they want to go. They pay more, but they get more.”

The Circulator service — with a $500,000 price tag per circulator route, per year — was eliminated in 2009 to help close a multi-million-gap in the transit agency’s budget. 

Find out what's happening in Lakewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Despite its popularity, officials say the route didn’t get the ridership needed to keep it afloat.

“(RTA’s) services are a critical element of the quality of life in Lakewood,” he said. “We have taken a giant leap backwards in terms of that quality when the Circulator was lost.” 

“We need to challenge the status quo,” Summers added. “What other avenues might we choose?”

Calabrese suggested that Lakewood find a local cab company and share the cost of rides for seniors.

“That would be great for the local cab company to offer additional service they wouldn't have normally and great for the seniors, who would get a discounted rate,” said Mary McCahon, the spokeswoman for RTA, adding that it could be partially subsidized by the city, partially by the resident and possibly partially subsidized by the cab company.

“We also recommended Senior Transportation Connection to them as that is the service some other communities use,” she added.

Questions still remain, such as who gets subsidies, who decides who gets them and who pays for them.

“Those are compelling questions, and I think we ought to wrestle with them,” Summers said. “The question becomes ‘who’s subsidizing it?’ We didn’t answer that question.”

“I sense there is an opportunity to continue that discussion with RTA.”


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