Gas prices are already above $7 in California and experts warn it could get up to $6 a gallon in North Carolina this summer. This is the moment transit agencies have been waiting for. The Triangle has a growing network of transit options that will get you to work and back and more routes are being implemented every year. This should be a time when Raleigh is fortifying their bus system to help families that cannot afford higher prices or don’t want to pay them.
Why then is GoRaleigh contemplating a reduction in frequency? Staff says finding drivers has been difficult and points to the other agencies around the Triangle who have already cut service. They present stories of worker shortages and the trouble finding commercial drivers licenses drivers in this market and tell us they have no choice.
There is truth to the fact that finding workers for this thankless job where conditions are hard and requires a spotless driving record for $16 an hour is difficult. GoRaleigh will tell you that if you stay on the job you could be making $27 an hour in three years. However, the NC Budget & Tax Center just released a report that says that a family of four needs two full-time $20 an hour salaries to just survive in Wake County today, not three-years from now.
In 2016 Wake County residents voted for a ½ cent sales tax for transit to expand service and connect the region with job opportunities and resources. That referendum passed because residents understood the value of more frequent bus service as our region quickly grows. Voters saw then that better service was needed to counter congestion, climate change, and gas prices. Why, when the conditions are best for more transit, would we abandon the work of the last six years?
WakeUP Wake County is here to advocate for better growth through expanded transportation options and more affordable housing. We are asking Raleigh city staff and the City Council to lean into a better climate and more transit this budget season. Raise the starting driver pay so that we can actually compete as a region. Let’s show the nation why Raleigh is on all lists by helping people get to their jobs, grocery stores, and to our festivals without going broke.