TCAT pushes for state funding

By Jay Wrolstad
 
County public transit officials have joined the lobbying effort aimed at obtaining more money from the state for public transportation, backing a proposal presented to lawmakers by the New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA) for inclusion in this year’s state budget.
 
NYPTA proposes five-year plan to support transportation, at $100 million per year, for Tompkins County Area Transit (TCAT) and other agencies across the state contending with aging fleets, manpower shortages and the lack of predictable revenue.
 
“The biggest issue is replacing our older buses,” says Patty Poist, TCAT Communications and Marketing Manager. She notes that in February TCAT had about 180 missed trips because of bus breakdowns and a shortage of available vehicle replacements. “As the buses get older the repairs are more extensive and expensive, and they are required more frequently.”
 
The average age of TCAT’s fleet is about 10 years, and the useful life of a transit bus is 12 years.
 
Missed trips are toxic for a transportation system, Poist says, as people may have to wait up to an hour for the next bus, but she notes that TCAT put five new buses on the road last week. It’s a step in the right direction, but personnel issues also are in play for TCAT.
 
A driver shortage has resulted in the hiring outside contractors—there are 10 currently at TCAT—in recent months. “It costs more to bring here, there are relocation costs and other expenses, that would not be needed if there were more local drivers. It’s a widespread problem, there is a huge demand for commercial licensed drivers and a small supply,” Poist says. Given the high cost, using contract drivers is not a long-term solution.
 
TCAT has had better success recruiting mechanics, but there are more positions to fill. “And we are doing a better job tracking maintenance issues and recognizing maintenance trends,” she adds.
 
There’s no question that riding the bus is popular in our county. TCAT reports 4.1 million annual trips in 2015, for an average of 40 trips per year per person for county population of 102,000.
 
Ridership increase steadily from 2007 to 2013, but there has been a dip in the past two years, in large part because cheaper gas prices make it more attractive to drive to work, or to school, says Matt Yarrow, TCAT service analyst.
 
“A budget increase could allow us to address the driver shortage by meeting the expenses of hiring outside contractors and reaching a broader area in recruiting,” he says. “It would also allow us to consider more flexible work shifts. There are periods of limited service during the day, and flexibility in working hours would make it more attractive to drivers, especially younger operators.”
 
State funding for TCAT’s operational costs is about $4.7 million annually, based on a formula. “We get 69 cents per mile traveled and .405 cents for each passenger trip. This comes from what is known as the Statewide Transportation Operating Assistance (STOA). It is our largest single source of operational funding, or about 35 percent of our operations budget,” Poist says.
 
TCAT estimates that it needs more than $21 million through 2020, for the purchase of 19 new buses, ongoing information technology improvements and other capital needs. TCAT officials receive federal, state and local funding to meet their needs, but that funding at all levels remains unpredictable. The NYPTA proposal would help by providing a steady stream of funding that enables better planning. “As an example, it takes 18 months to build a bus. If TCAT can’t be certain it will be receiving money, it cannot order buses or plan for other capital improvements in a timely fashion,” Poist says.
 
NYPTA’s Policy Director Rob Zerrillo explains that his agncy has identified $1 billion in capital needs for both upstate agencies and downstate suburban transit agencies. NYPTA reports that less than half of those needs are currently met by available resources. As part of its proposal, NYPTA requests that the state increase capital formula funding over the next five years for certain smaller upstate agencies in that group, including TCAT, to nearly $12 million dollars a year, or about $8 million more than Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed in his budget. Cuomo is proposing about $4 million annually for the formula program, about $1 million over this fiscal year.
 
“This year the state is expected to act on a comprehensive transportation measure in the budget, and we want systems in upstate New York to be part of that package,” Zerillo says. “The governor has included money in the executive budget for this, and the Assembly and Senate have proposed to increase that amount, and our proposal would meet a projected fuding gap.”
 
State Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, who represents Tompkins County, has expressed her support for the funding increase. “I applaud NYPTA’s recommendation that the state should provide an annual capital investment of $100 million per year and increase operating assistance funding to upstate transit systems,” she said in a statement.
 
“Many upstate transit systems are in a precarious position. Some have shut down completely, while others are on the edge,” Lifton said. “A community cannot thrive economically or culturally unless its residents have access to good public transportation. “I call on the Governor and my colleagues in the state legislature to support this critical funding that will help prevent further deterioration of our upstate bus systems.”
 
For more information, go to www.nytransit.org.