A quadriplegic unable to use his hands following a serious accident roughly four years ago, Bothell’s Joe Meyer now teaches classes in the use of computer voice-recognition software at the Northshore Senior Center.

To reach the center and just generally get around — including taking trips with his children — Meyer uses a Snohomish County Community Transit route very near his home.

Due to budget problems, Community Transit may be eliminating a total of 12 routes, with two of those routes serving Bothell, including the route used by Meyer.

The Bothell routes on the potential chopping block are 106 and 121. Judging from a map and information provided by Community Transit, both routes weave their way through the north end of Bothell before heading to Park and Ride lots in Canyon Park and Lynnwood.

“We do not want to make these cuts,” said Community Transit Public Information Officer Martin Munguia. “We have delayed having to make service cuts for two years by slashing internal spending and borrowing against our reserves.”

Munguia contends that only a one-time infusion of federal stimulus money held cuts at bay last year.

Now, Munguia said, Community Transit is looking at a $10 million deficit. As a result, the Community Transit Board of Directors is considering a proposal that slices service by 15 percent and imposes a 25-cent fare hike for local and paratransit buses.

The board also notably is weighing the elimination of all service, including paratransit and the new SWIFT lines, on Sundays and six major holidays. The very earliest and latest service on many routes also may be cut.

According to the Community Transit Web site, any service changes will take effect in June. The transit board is expected to reach a decision sometime next month.

According to figures supplied by Munguia, in December 2009, Route 106 carried about 207 riders each weekday, while Route 121 picked up another 359 on weekdays. But ridership apparently isn’t what decided which routes are being considered for elimination.

“When it was clear we needed to cut service, our planning staff went through each of our 62 bus routes,” Munguia said. “They eliminated some loops through neighborhoods… and eliminated some routes where consolidation could create more efficiency.”

He added that routes facing elimination are generally part of a pair of routes that follow roughly the same routing, with some deviations. He used routes 105 and 106, which run between Bothell and Mill Creek, as an example.

Munguia said both routes travel down Bothell-Everett Highway, but take different paths through Canyon Park, before ending up at the University of Washington, Bothell.

If changes are approved, Route 106 would be gone and a “straightened out” Route 105 would take over many Route 106 trips.

According to Munguia, that means there would still be frequent service but the route would take less time and save money.

In responding to the comments of Meyer, Munguia said that, unfortunately, with a 15 percent cut in service, some riders are bound to be negatively affected. He said some physically challenged riders may be able to take advantage of paratransit service that can take them from their homes to the location of normal bus stops or possibly all the way to their final destination.

Meyer said he hopes to find out soon, but believes he may be outside the paratransit service area. Rules require riders live within three-quarters of a mile of an existing bus line. He also said paratransit can significantly increase travel time.

Munguia contends that if persons affected by the cuts live outside the paratransit service area, there are other options. He invited anyone with concerns to visit www.communitytransit.org/service change.

The same Web address will give you further information on the proposed changes to the Bothell runs and other routes, including buses currently running to the Boeing plant in Everett.