County reluctantly applies for public transportation funds

A rider exits while another waits to board an Access Johnson County bus in April at the Franklin Walmart.  Daily Journal File Photo

The county took a step toward potentially expanding public transportation last week despite some hesitancy among officials.

The Johnson County Board of Commissioners approved and signed a grant application that could give the county more than $250,000 from Indiana’s Public Mass Transportation Fund to help match federal funds.

The grant is designed to promote and develop public transportation across the state, and the money can be used for two types of activities, including operating project grants, to help fund the operations of a transportation service, or capital project grants, to buy vehicles and fare boxes, and construct transit facilities.

The grant requires the county to provide a “dollar for dollar match,” according to state documents.

The county applied for the state’s transportation grant to match a potential federal transportation grant, as allowed under Indiana law. Last year, the county received nearly $300,000, according to state documents.

If the county gets the grant this year, it gives them options to add potential requirements for providers, including the number of vehicles used and where the location of services should be, said Ron West, county commissioner.

“This meets legitimately what we’re trying to do,” West said.

The grant would help the county match federal funds through a Federal Transit Administration’s Urbanized Area Formula Funding program.

What the application shows

County officials want to take a more active role in public transportation.

For 2022, the county is looking to transition to the Urban 5307 funds from the Rural 5311 funds. The county will continue to offer flexible fixed routes and county-wide demand responsive services as long as funding allows, according to the grant application.

The county is also aware that the frequency of service and other features may need to be adjusted to stay within planned budgets due to funding for the first year being significantly reduced. The county may need to review fare structures with key partners, the application says.

County officials hope to increase transit service ridership by 10% next year, with an overall goal of regaining pre-COVID-19 ridership levels. The county has also set a goal of a 90% passenger satisfaction survey rate, and a on-time performance rate of 95%, according to the application.

Also, county officials plan to collaborate more with key transit partners, complete training and learn more about compliance regulations for the Urban 5307 funds. The ultimate goal is for the county to take a more active role than was previously required, the application says.

Officials plan to solicit additional advertisers, business sponsors and community partners to help generate new and ongoing sources of local funds. By doing this, the county could be in a better position to match both state and federal funds. It would also allow the county to sustain long-term service and future growth based on need, according to the application.

Commissioners concerned about process

Commissioners had concerns about the process, and some said applying for the grant before the Friday deadline was forced on them.

Commissioners Brian Baird and Kevin Walls were concerned the application was being signed too quickly. Walls was uncomfortable with the whole process, he said.

“It’s been shoved down our throats,” Walls said.

It has been in the works for more than two years, but the commissioners were having to make a decision just two days before the application was due, he said.

Baird questioned why the state was unable to answer his questions about the speed of the application process.

While the application goes through the state, the funds would be distributed through IndyGo. The funds also cannot be used until the county is able to match a portion of the funds, county officials said.

Applying for the grant signals to IndyGo the county has a matching grant for public transportation, West said.

If the county gets the grant, accepts the funds and doesn’t use it, the state would take back the funds. Local matching is only obligated once a contract is signed with a provider. If the county says no to any contracts, IndyGo would go to another entity within the county to partner for the funds.

Also, if the county does not receive the federal grant, it would not use the money from the state grant.

If the county moved forward with the federal grant process without applying for the state grant, it would miss out on more than $250,000 to help match the federal grant, said Shena Johnson, county attorney.

If the grants are approved, a provider contract would come before the commissioners for consideration.

Debating the need, opportunities

During the meeting, commissioners also discussed how the funds might affect Access Johnson County — the county’s sole public transportation provider.

IndyGo does offer service at stops along County Line Road in Greenwood, but does not go any farther south.

Access has voluntarily provided more than 1.8 million rides since it was founded in 1995, said West, who also serves on the agency’s board. The agency does not receive any county funding.

In April, Access had already given rides to more than 45,000 passengers this year, all while facing a driver shortage that dialed back routes. Access operates 19 buses on five fixed routes with an annual $1.7 million budget.

While the county should provide transportation to people with disabilities, public access is another matter, Walls said. He suggested people may be using the service to save money, not because they have an actual need.

Access should raise its user fees, he said.

West asked the other commissioners what they have done to help public transportation in the county, which is lucky to have a provider that the county government does not have to provide funding for, West said.

Johnson County Council member Ron Deer, who attended last week’s commissioner’s meeting, addressed the commissioners.

Deer spent his career in public transportation, and told the commissioners they were dealing with two issues: how to fund it and who it should be provided to.

In the end, whether to pursue the grants is a matter of losing an opportunity to improve public transportation in Johnson County.

If the county doesn’t raise the funds to match the grants, they do not have to move forward. If that is the case, the commissioners should consider what IndyGo would do if the county doesn’t move forward, Deer said.