These cuts are beyond ridiculous. The small cuts on each route are doing more damage...longer waits and more crowded buses. The growing frustration from drivers and riders is understandable.

Instead of spreading these cuts across the board on every route, a new approach would go along way to building a reliable system:

Get rid of half the routes. Keep the 20-25 [[out of 48) busiest routes, but increase service hours and frequency. Make sure those buses are running on time.

Yes, it will mean longer walks to bus lines, but knowing those buses will be there and on time is more important than having a bus line close by. Would you rather leave 15-20 minutes early to walk a mile to a bus stop, or walk a block to a bus stop and wait for a bus that may never come?

Would you rather run someone to the bus stop a mile away, or drive them all the way to their job?

Increase dail-a-ride services for the elderly and disabled.

Two other issues also add to the inefficiency of the bus system:

Bus stops are too close together. DDOT really wasted a good opportunity to rectify that situation when they installed the new bus stop signs a couple years ago. Some stops are only a block or two apart. That may have made sense at one time, but not now.

Stop taking cash for fares!! The system needs to move to refillable swipe cards for all. Refill online or at kiosks at all current locations selling bus passes. Nothing takes more time than to load 20 passengers at a busy stop when all have to dig in their pockets for their fare.