
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 16, 1990                   TAG: 9006180301
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

CITY BUS RUNS ON SUNDAYS COULD HELP MANY

IT SEEMS very discriminatory that the city buses do not operate at all on Sunday. There are very few cities in America of more than 50,000 population in which public bus service is curtailed on Sunday.

It discriminates against the elderly who do not operate an automobile. Also, it is against one-car families, or those with no car. It limits access to churches, Center in the Square, the public library and the city parks.

This is the one day when many lower-income people have an opportunity to partake of the many downtown activities. It would not be necessary to have a full schedule, but from each area buses should operate at least hourly to and from the Downtown Transportation Center between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. They could visit the shopping centers on Sunday afternoon.

A limited schedule might be very profitable and certainly would make metropolitan Roanoke appear more like an All-American City rather than a one-horse town.

Another thought would be to offer special rates, even with limited bus facilities, on Sundays so that more people, and families with children, could enjoy this special day.

\ WALTER LOEBL\ ROANOKE

by CNB