We can empathize with the task Steamboat Springs government and City Council face in balancing the 2018 budget in the face of declining sales tax revenues. But, we would think that something the city has learned in the past few years is that cutting transit service, even temporarily, inspires significant blowback from the community.

City Council reviewed a proposal this week to trim about $45,000 from the 2018 budget by curtailing bus service April 15 to May 26. Under the plan, the last city bus would leave the Stock Bridge Transit Center for the mountain area at 6:40 p.m. instead of 10:40 p.m. during mud season.

Transit Manager Jonathan Flint said the night-line buses transport an average of 19 riders per hour during the four hours of service that would go away, and he added that’s not too far below the state average of 22 to 23 riders per hour. He predicts the planned cuts to the late night service would affect 12,000 passenger trips.

Read more at Steamboat Today.