Bus lane in Eugene, Oregon. Photo by functoruser.

The Transit First! coalition today released its plan for closing the Metro budget gap without harmful bus service cuts that will reduce mobility for transit-dependent riders, especially many in Prince George’s County which would bear the brunt of currently-planned bus cuts. The plan calls for Maryland to restore its Ride-On cuts, also saving Metro $1 million per year, and to make buses more efficient by optimizing traffic flow to speed buses.

Maryland’s $4.8 million of Ride-On cuts will force more residents to drive, adding to traffic, and remove options for residents who can’t afford cars. Meanwhile, Montgomery County subsidizes its parking garages with over $8 million a year, letting drivers park in places like Bethesda without paying their fair share while vital lifeline buses are disappearing. Transit First! asked Maryland to redirect the subsidy to restore Ride-On. Doing so will also save Metro $1 million a year.

To close the rest of the budget gap, Transit First! asks each jurisdiction to implement bus priorities, like adjusting traffic signals to better fit bus patterns, letting buses skip congestion by driving on highway shoulders or in right-turn lanes, improving bus lane enforcement and designating new bus lanes. Since these changes cannot happen in time for the 2010 fiscal year beginning this summer, Transit First! is willing to have Metro “borrow” some of its stimulus capital dollars and pay it back with the bus efficiency improvements over the next few years.

Details of Transit First!‘s plan appear in their press release.