Let LTD shuttles roll.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Competing with the government can be tough - ask any company that competes with the U.S. Postal Service for delivery business, or any owner of private parking lots that is up against publicly subsidized parking spaces. So the Federal Transit Administration addressed a real problem when it promulgated new rules protecting private charter bus operators against competition from public mass transit systems.

But the rules go too far when they threaten to prevent the Lane Transit District from running a shuttle service to serve the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials and other big local events. The federal rules go into effect April 30, four days before the Eugene Marathon and less than two months before the Trials begin.

The district's ability to serve these events is under a shadow because two bus companies have expressed interest in providing service to the Trials, and at least one has its eye on other events as well. Given such interest from private operators, the FTA appears to require that Lane Transit either charge passengers the regular bus fare or provide shuttle service for free.

Collecting regular fares from shuttle passengers would discourage ridership, defeating a central purpose of providing the service. Providing free shuttle service is not an option for LTD, which must cover its costs. Event organizers underwrite the cost, and without this support, LTD could not afford to provide it.

Event organizers might welcome the opportunity to consider offers from private bus companies, choosing the one that promises to provide the best service at the lowest price. It's extremely late in the game, however, to begin considering alternatives to LTD for the Trials, the Eugene Marathon and other events for which planning is well-advanced. That, however, seems to be what the FTA rules require.

At this point, the best solution would be to obtain a waiver of the FTA rules for events that LTD already has made arrangements to serve. U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, should be able to help in that regard.

As it considers waiver requests, the FTA should keep the big picture in mind. LTD's participation in such events as the Olympic Trials involves more than getting people from one place to another. It's an important part of a necessary effort to address traffic, parking, accessibility and air quality problems.

LTD is an integral part of the local transportation system. Using its buses during big events is an efficient, convenient and environmentally friendly deployment of local resources.

Surely the FTA's purpose is not to prevent communities from pursuing such benefits.