Transit company leaders gave reward and raised considerations surrounding the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure legislation throughout a U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and City Affairs listening to final week.
“Merely put, the historic will increase in federal transit funding are important and are making a huge effect in Better Cleveland,” mentioned India Birdsong Terry, normal supervisor and CEO of the Better Cleveland Regional Transit Authority in her testimony.
James Keel, director of public transportation for the Greenville Transit Authority in Greenville, South Carolina, mentioned in testimony earlier than the committee that the rise in “method funds within the bipartisan infrastructure legislation are drastically appreciated and supplied small transit companies resembling GTA with much-needed aid.” He added, nevertheless, “The federal authorities does an amazing job supporting each rural and huge transit companies, however please don’t forget these of us ‘within the center.’”
GTA operates 12 mounted bus routes throughout a 94-square-mile space and has seen a “fast restoration and enlargement of ridership” because of the important employees it serves, he mentioned. Curiosity in public transit has grown, he mentioned throughout questioning, “and it truly is being pushed by business and producers in our state who’ve begun asking or demanding extra public transit to get their employees to work.”
The GTA has bought 9 battery-electric buses and is dedicated to a transition to various fuels, in response to his ready assertion. However Keel mentioned throughout questioning that the “problem that we face with plenty of the battery-electric expertise is that it really works good so long as all circumstances are regular.” He defined that South Carolina is topic to hurricanes, and the restricted vary of electrical buses would make them unsuitable for evacuation functions.
Keel additionally expressed frustration concerning the availability of federal funds and the stringent necessities for aggressive grants. “My considerations concerning the destiny of aggressive discretionary funding and smaller companies’ capability to entry them are very actual,” he mentioned, explaining that the demand for such grants far exceeds the obtainable funds.
Like many transit companies, “GTA has seen a big improve within the variety of people experiencing psychological sickness and/or homelessness because the pandemic,” Keel mentioned. “That is outdoors of our wheelhouse, as we’re transportation professionals and will not be outfitted to supply potential riders with the psychological well being care they could want.”
Terry defined how her company is tackling the issue. The company added a transit ambassador program that features 10 ambassadors and 6 disaster intervention specialists, along with assigning officers to neighborhood policing. “These social service professionals work in shut partnership with social service companies to handle the wants of our most susceptible clients,” she mentioned.
“Workforce transportation is the problem, and public transit is an answer,” Keel mentioned.