James Snyder

The three candidates vying for Position No. 1 on the Rogue Valley Transportation District Board have focused on access, ridership levels and rider safety.

The special district election takes place May 16. Incumbent Thomas Fink, whose term expires June 30, did not file for re-election.

Denise KrauseDenise Krause, of Ashland, has said the district should work to boost ridership.

She has pitched a public awareness campaign to build a positive culture around public transportation — and to let people know that, as the coronavirus pandemic becomes less salient in people’s lives, it is safe to ride the bus again.

Krause also believes that expanding services — especially on Sundays — would attract more riders.

She acknowledged this may be a heavy financial lift, but addressing the supply side could spur the demand side, she said.

“We need to increase ridership so that we can expand services, but we also need to expand services so we can increase ridership,” she said.

She believes the valley needs more on-demand services like the Ashland Connector, a ride-hailing service the district shut down in December 2021 amid a worker shortage.

She said the Ashland Connector was especially useful to the Mountain Meadows senior living community, which is not near a bus route.

In addition, Krause said the district should revisit an old idea: whether it is feasible to establish a commuter rail. A 2001 study by the Oregon Department of Transportation, for example, looked at using existing Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad tracks between Ashland and Grants Pass.

“They found that it was feasible technically, but it was expensive, and so … it’s not getting any cheaper,” she said. “But it might be worth seeing, first of all, is there interest? Is there need? Would it serve the valley?” And, she asked, how have circumstances changed since then?

The district could also study the feasibility of launching an express bus to cover that stretch, she said.

Krause said it is important to do the work in case federal infrastructure funding or other grants can come into play. “So when money becomes available, we have a reason to ask for it.”

A managing director and consultant at Health Data Analytics, Krause taught for decades at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She also took a transportation leadership training program sponsored by the Clean and Just Transportation Network, as well as Southern Oregon Climate Action Now’s Master Climate Protector program, which has transportation elements.

When Krause’s car was in the shop recently, she took the express bus to Medford and spoke to fellow riders. “People who are riding the bus are pretty happy with the buses,” she said.

Krause added: “We’re pretty lucky to have what we have, and so I’d like to continue to build on those successes.”

John QuinnJohn Quinn, of Medford, is the chief deputy district attorney in Siskiyou County, California.

His central concern is rider safety — both aboard district buses and at the stations.

“I think that only a small portion of the people who are paying for it — namely, the taxpayers and people who are paying the property tax levies — either find it convenient enough or safe enough to use,” Quinn said.

The most recent budget posted on the transportation district’s website shows that a small fraction of its resources comes from fares. “That tells me that the people who are paying for it don’t feel comfortable using it.”

The Front Street station, for example, is “very problematic,” Quinn said, adding he has heard many people complain about not feeling safe or comfortable there.

Quinn said riders should know that, if individuals are breaking the law or exhibiting other concerning behaviors, the district will partner and cooperate with law enforcement to address them.

“And, frankly, who better to do that than somebody who’s been a D.A. working with policemen for 20 years?” Quinn said.

The perception of public safety on buses is another problem for the district, he said.

“If you make them the safest thing in the world, but people still think that they’re not, they’re not going to ride,” he said, “and you are going to have people who are paying for a service they don’t use.”

The district should let riders know it is making an effort to ensure their safety — and that they’re succeeding so that the riders do feel better, he said.

He criticized Krause’s proposed feasibility study, calling it a “huge, high-ticket tangent.”

“I have not talked to anyone who wants a commuter rail,” Quinn said, “and I’ve talked to a lot of people.”

He said that, among the candidates, he would be the most sensitive to the fact that taxpayer dollars must be used carefully.

“There are so many better things to spend the money on — like making people feel safe to use the service that they’re already paying taxes for,” he said.

Jim SnyderJim Snyder, vice president of Phoenix City Council, is also concerned about safety.

“I want to make sure that our drivers and the passengers are safe, that they have the right rules, protocols and protections involved,” he said.

The transportation district overall, Snyder said, is “well run, and it’s functioning very properly.” As a board member, he said, he would work to ensure that services stay cost-effective and that the cost to riders remains as low as possible.

He said the district must continue to improve the ability of disabled riders and senior citizens to enjoy the bus system.

A possible long-term goal, he said, is to expand bus service into working-class areas — particularly in Talent, Phoenix and certain areas of Medford.

“There are probably some areas in the future where we can start looking at creating a network to go more into the housing areas where people actually live so that they don’t have to spend as much time and energy getting to a bus stop,” he said.

Before he retired, Snyder spent more than two decades as a U.S. Army commissioned officer and about 18 years as a manager in defense contracting.

He has earned educational certificates from the Special Districts Association of Oregon, and is a certified project management professional through the Project Management Institute.

Asked about his opponents, he said, “Personally, I would be happy with any of the three of us being elected because I think we’re all good people.”

Snyder is running also for Position No. 2 on the Jackson County Fire District No. 5 board, and is seeking to continue as a director on the Rogue Valley Sewer Services district board.