There’s plenty happening right now at the Twin Cities Area Transportation Authority as it prepares to start receiving federal funding again.
We reported in February that the Federal Transit Administration had frozen the Dial a Ride bus service’s funding while seeking several documents from TCATA. At a meeting of the TCATA board this week, Interim Director Tressa Greschak said with Via Transit now managing the agency, all of that information has been submitted and it’s now ready to seek reimbursement for operations and maintenance from November through February. The total amount is about $443,000, and the board approved motions to do so.
Greschak said she’s also found a grant opportunity that could allow for TCATA to begin serving new areas.
“We have a dead zone,” Greschak said. “Do you guys know the dead zone that I’m talking about? The on-demand service only goes so far south, and then it cuts off about at Hollywood Road, really just north of that, and then it kind of scoops down to catch the hospitals and things.”
Greschak said that means while TCATA makes runs down to the Meijer in Stevensville, it misses points to the north.
“I get phone calls all the time from people who want a ride to get a haircut, and I’m like, I’m so sorry, I can’t help you. They don’t pay us for this. And Berrien Bus has the same problem from the other end.”
Greschak said she wants to explore the new funding opportunity to launch a pilot serving that area to show local leaders there’s a demand.
“This is where I want to explore this funding opportunity for testing service. We would get the money to support the service, pay the vehicle revenue hours that we would need to give to VIA in order to serve this area.”
Also this week, the TCATA board voted to purchase up to six new vehicles using $600,000 from a federal grant the agency previously received. Greschak said they’re looking at one gas-powered vehicle, one hybrid, and four propane-powered vehicles, adding electrics wouldn’t really meet the service’s needs.
