Commissioners meet with ODOT to discuss public transportation

By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com

Rumors have abounded for weeks now about the state of public transportation in Crawford County. Some of those concerns can be put to rest for the moment.

The Crawford County Commissioners met with Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) representatives Tuesday morning to discuss the future of public transportation in the county. Currently, Crawford County Council on Aging handles transportation through a grant from ODOT, but supply does not always meet demand, especially when the agency has to turn away riders in favor of seniors or the disabled who scheduled a ride long in advance.

As a result, ODOT Public Transit Manager Skip Dunkle, Rural Transit Representative Chris Craves, and 5310 program coordinator Macie Legg presented an idea that came from some out-of-the-box thinking. The trio proposed to allow Council on Aging to seek funding from the Federal Transit Administration’s Specialized Transportation Program, which would serve the needs of seniors and persons with disabilities. Meanwhile, the representatives suggested, the commissioners could designate a new agency to handle the general public transportation with funds from the Rural Transit Program.

“What they do and who they serve really fits the mold more of the 5310 program (Specialized Transportation Program), not so much the public transportation 5311 program,” Legg said of the Council on Aging services. “It’s almost like they’re being set up to fail because they have this dire need from their seniors that they’re trying to meet on top of general public and it’s kind of clashing.”

Legg said that’s when Seneca County Agency Transportation (SCAT) came into the picture. That agency would be able to handle the Rural Transit Program while Council on Aging could retain the operating funds through the Specialized Transportation Program, something that could not be done if Council on Aging controlled both programs.

Dunkle believed SCAT would be the perfect match for such a partnership, considering the agency already makes trips through Crawford County four to five times a week. SCAT, if selected as the designee, would continue to apply for the Rural Transit Program while Crawford County would enhance the program to run services in this county. Dunkle cautioned the commissioners that SCAT would most likely need to establish a satellite office, station vehicles, and have drivers in Crawford County in order to serve the residents.

A number of Council on Aging buses were purchased through the Rural Transit Program, a matter that concerned Commissioner Jenny Vermillion. Dunkle said those vehicles would have to transfer to SCAT, including three new vehicles purchased this year that have yet to arrive.

Legg added that the Council on Aging would not have a lot of capital if the agency moved to a Specialized Transportation Program. She said the agency could possibly retain some of the older vehicles. Despite that, Legg said, Council on Aging would need to get a letter of support from whatever agency is designated for the Rural Transit Program indicating that the designee would not be able to provide the service as adequately as Council on Aging could.

“That’s what it’s for: just to come in where public transit can’t meet the needs of the community,” Legg explained, “which, I think, has been questioned for Crawford County.”

“Please don’t take it that we’re saying Crawford can’t do it,” Dunkle stated. “We’re just thinking outside the box; one, for coordination efforts, and the other to see what would work better for Crawford County.”

Dunkle added that a study regarding public transportation currently making the rounds in the county will help groups understand the transit needs of the population and how funds should be allocated.

“The service provider, whoever it is, makes no difference,” Dunkle told the commissioners. “But it has to be a service provider if you want to go this route. It actually puts more money in your county and lets more of your seniors and your general public have ridership.”

Dunkle jokingly added that the acronym SCAT easily allows for Crawford to be included.

“You’ve got a lot of opportunity sitting in front of you,” Dunkle concluded.

According to Dunkle, Council on Aging Director Cassie Herschler and SCAT Director Mary Habig are very receptive to the idea of a partnership.

The Council on Aging is currently set to finish out the year as the county’s transportation provider. If the commissioners sign off on the idea, Dunkle said they would like to see a contact in place to start the service at the beginning of 2017.

The commissioners seemed favorable to the idea.

“Sounds promising,” Commissioner Doug Weisenauer commented.

“I thought it actually looked like a pretty good idea from what we heard today,” Commissioner Steve Reinhard said. “It’s not totally foreign to what we heard in some of our other meetings. Eventually, they (ODOT) want to go to more regional transit systems – this is a way that we can actually bring more money back into the county.”

Reinhard said they will continue to review the option presented to them. The commissioners have scheduled a meeting with the Council on Aging and SCAT for 11 a.m. on June 14.