The city of Mankato and Minnesota State University are considering a joint effort to take more alcohol problems off the street.
The City of Mankato has been operating what some call a "sober bus" that provides rides to students, mostly, from downtown to Minnesota State University between midnight and 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
The bus service provides alternative transportation to those who may have been drinking, and so even at its minimal operating time helps prevent drunk driving. As a result, the sober bus program enhances public safety and reduces costs of policing what has become a large downtown party scene.
A proposal by Mankato City Manager Pat Hentges would extend the hours of operation of the sober bus from 6 p.m. to midnight and add Thursday to the schedule.
Under the proposal, students would ride free before 11 p.m. and pay a fare after that. They currently pay $1 fare and the bus isn't designed to take students from MSU to downtown areas.
The cost of operating the bus would be about $53,000, possibly shared by the city and MSU.
But downtown bar owners and the riders themselves have a stake in this. Downtown bar owners should be concerned as much as anyone about public safety. A downtown entertainment district viewed as a dangerous place to go is not good for business. The small cost involved in funding this modest operation would be well worth the investment.
With a little marketing moxie, downtown businesses could pool together and treat patrons to a free ride or greatly reduced price for a safe ride back to the campus area.
But students should also be responsible. First, they should drink responsibly and second, they should help pay their way.
A $1 bus ride is not an unreasonable fee.
There may even be some grant money available on the MSU side from federal and state Party 411 campaigns that encourage responsible use of alcohol by reducing the peer pressure to drink excessively.
While the $53,000 cost of the program may seem like another expense for governments already facing tight budgets, it would be a small price to pay compared to the government cost of imprisoning a DWI offender.
The $53,000 would be made up in one year if it kept one person out of a one year jail sentence for DWI.
City Council members Joe Frederick, a downtown bar owner himself, and John Brady and Jack Considine seem to be supporting the expansion of the service.
Other downtown bar owners also seem to think it's a good idea.
Expanding the sober bus schedule makes sense and will save public safety costs in the long run while making the downtown entertainment scene safe and enjoyable.
Email this article | Permanent link | Topstories news | Topstories news archives
Minnesota State
University, Mankato
Mankato, MN 56001
1-800-722-0544
© 2005-2013 Minnesota State University, Mankato. Minnesota State University, Mankato is a member of
Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system and an affirmative action/equal opportunity university.
