Parents Look to Gold Link Shuttle for School Trans

The city is in discussion to add two stops to the in July in hopes of increasing accessibility for students traveling to and on weekday mornings.

"It's a great way to get kids to school and cut down on congestion," said Julie Pearson, whose daughter will be a sixth-grader at South Pas Middle School next year. "It will give our kids a little more independence and teach them good behavior."

Twelve families living in the Monterey Hills area have signed a petition in favor of using the bus as transportation to South Pas schools, said Pearson. 

In January, the city pared back the number of Gold Link shuttle stops, citing a lack of demand for the program since it began in 2007. Sheila Pautsch, the city's Community Services Director, told Patch in November that this reduction would save the city up to $42,000 per year, an amount that could be funneled into other transportation projects, including the .

About six students, five pedestrians and one family (a mother and her three children) rode the Gold Link shuttle April 28 as it made its 7 a.m. round. Instruments in hand, sixth graders Ilai Gilbert and Eric Kuo said they like riding the Gold Link, because it cuts down on travel time they would usually spend walking. 

The Gold Link program is funded entirely through California Proposition A and C funds. Through this proposition, the city is required to use the money to improve transit infrastructure or provide affordable public transportation. Gold Link services currently cost approximately $100,000 per year. 

Mayor Mike Ten is encouraging student use with additional stops at Via Del Rey and Camino Del Sol as well as Oak Street and Fair Oaks Avenue. He said the Gold Link shuttle should be used to send a message to students. While high school seniors receive personal parking spaces for good citizenship, he said eco-friendly practices should be encouraged instead. 

"The city needs an alternate form of transportation," he said. "It's important to promote public transportation within the community." 

But not all Council members are in favor. 

"I think it should be terminated," said Council member Philip Putnam. "I have felt that way for the last three or four years. It's costing a tremendous amount of money for a service no one uses."

With a projected $600,000 operating deficit in the next fiscal year, Putnam said it's necessary that the city cut certain services to balance available funds. For instance, he said he would rather see the city prioritize heavily-used services like those at the library. (The savings from Prop A and C could go towards other approved transit projects allowing the extra general funds to be used elsewhere.)

"We have tried a number of different things to increase public awareness and ridership," he said. "It has just become apparent that there is no demand. If there was demand, people would use it."