Article published May 4, 2007

 

Perrysburg affirms its support for TARTA

But city wants option to quit bus service

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

Just days after testifying in support of a bill that would allow Ohio communities to join or leave regional transit authorities as they please, Perrysburg Mayor Nelson Evans told TARTA trustees yesterday that he is not set on pulling his city out of the transit system.  "There are some residents who would [have us] get out in a second, but as a community, we do not want to get out," Mr. Evans told the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority board. 

 

"The city of Perrysburg is not against TARTA. It is not against public transportation," Mr. Evans said.  What Perrysburg officials hope for, the mayor said, is better service that will entice more of the city's citizens to ride the bus and thus generate a better return for the $1 million or so in property taxes that Perrysburg residents pay annually to the transit authority. 

 

"We understand that we're probably a donor community," Mr. Evans said, using a term referring to the city paying more into TARTA than it gets back in service.  Along with Perrysburg, TARTA member communities include Toledo, Ottawa Hills, Sylvania, Sylvania Township, Rossford, Waterville, Maumee, and Spencer Township.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070504/NEWS18/705040343/-1/NEWS

 

TARTA Trustee Morrell is right on the mark:  not only would such a law be used as a "gun to the head" of TARTA, but to every transit system in Ohio.  Worse, a law like this sets a precedent.  If it applies to a public transit system, why not a school district, library district, fire district, etc?

 

Sen. Gardner's bill is a prime example of what you get from a term-limited legislature: "low-hanging fruit" legislation that sounds good but turns out rotten in the end.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070527/NEWS11/705270340

-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article published May 27, 2007

 

Will Toledo be next stop in U.S. light-rail boom?[/b]

Local planners study options as gasoline prices keep rising

 

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

Head out the front door and walk a few blocks to the neighborhood coffee shop. Grab a latte, a morning paper, and walk two blocks farther to the light-rail station. Swipe your transit card and find a seat. Within a few minutes you're at the office or workshop downtown, or in Maumee's Arrowhead Park, or in Sylvania - and you've left your car and $3.50-a-gallon gas back home in the driveway.

 

A farfetched dream? This can't be Toledo.

 

For more information, click above link.

Contact David Patch at:

[email protected]

or 419-724-6094.

Say what they (COTA / GCRTA) want about the "cost per mile" of light rail, but it's still less and a better value than building more highway miles.  That's not to say we shouldn't be tweaking capacity on the highway system, but there must begin to be a major investment in our transit infrastructure to build light rail, commuter rail and (yes) BRT where it is needed.

 

Look at the above map of what Toledo used to have for a streetcar system and tell me that if that system was preserved and modernized that it would be at least as heavily used as the GCRTA "Rapid".  They could be talking about expandingthe system and not having to build it again from the streets up.

I'd lol so hard if Toledo got light rail before Columbus or Cincy.

From the 5/26/07 Blade:

 

NOVEMBER ELECTION

TARTA may ask voters for 1.5-mill levy

 

A levy asking voters' continued approval of a 1.5-mill operating levy for the TARTA bus system could go on the ballot in November.  The finance committee of the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority board of trustees yesterday recommended seeking a replacement 10-year levy.  The existing 1.5-mill levy was last approved in 1997.

 

As a replacement, it would result in additional revenue because it would be applied to current property values, rather than the property values in place 10 years ago.  The new levy would generate about $10 million a year, up from the $7.5 million generated by the current levy.

 

"This levy is critical to our continuing operations," said James Gee, TARTA general manager.  "Essentially, it would be for continuation of the current service."  The issue now moves to the full board, which meets June 7.  The campaign for a replacement levy comes as TARTA is facing a potential revolt among its member communities.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070526/NEWS11/705260394/-1/NEWS

 

Letter to the editor in the Toledo Blade:

 

Bus passes, not gas cards are needed

 

I am an Indian citizen visiting Toledo. I have been hearing all around me the public concern about rising gas prices. I also read with great interest the news item in your May 30 issue regarding the offer of $200 gas cards from Lucas County to the needy families, a $1.5 million program.

 

Apart from the fact that the world over, including India, such selective subsidies result in nepotism and corruption, the scheme has one major defect: It doesn't correct the situation by eliminating its root cause. Instead it perpetuates and aggravates the situation.

 

A major difference is glaringly apparent in the transportation systems in Europe (also developing economies) and the United States. Europe has excellent public transport facilities, while in the United States it is the most neglected sector.

 

. . .

 

Instead of giving gas cards to the needy, the county could give TARTA bus passes to the entire families of the needy. TARTA can use the funds for improving service.

 

Govind Phadke, Perrysburg

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070705/OPINION03/707050316/-1/OPINION

Free TARTA shuttle to ferry folks to city sites

Trial run aims to bring families into the 'loop'

BY JOE VARDON | TOLEDO BLADE

July 26, 2007

 

PHOTO: TARTA's shuttle for the 'Family Learning Loop' parks in front of COSI downtown, one of the stops on the circuit of the city's educational and cultural centers it will make on Saturday.

THE BLADE/JETTA FRASER

 

TOLEDO - On any given Saturday, a Lucas County resident or visitor might spend some time riding a high-wire bicycle at COSI Toledo, skimming a rare book at the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, studying Andy Warhol's Dream America exhibit at the Toledo Museum of Art, or watching a mother polar bear play with her cubs at the Toledo Zoo.

 

You can do all those things Saturday, if you have time, without having to pay at the pump.  A free shuttle provided by the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority and powered by biodiesel fuel will run continuously among those four attractions from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

 

The cost to TARTA for operating the shuttle - $40 an hour for eight hours - will be covered through a donation by National City Bank.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070726/NEWS33/707260361/-1/NEWS

TARTA to brighten up its rolling artworks

More uplifting written imagery, lighter colors to be on buses

BY DAVID PATCH | TOLEDO BLADE

September 7, 2007

 

PHOTO: The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo will begin covering public buses with bright colors.

GEE/THE BLADE

 

TOLEDO - Expect the next crop of "Art in TARTA" buses to be decorated in more vivid colors than the last as the result of an agreement between the transit agency and the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, which oversees the program.

 

"We've directed the arts commission to, essentially, lighten up," James Gee, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority's general manager, told the agency's board of trustees yesterday.

 

The "Art in TARTA" program, now in its fourth year, involves applying locally written poetry and art designs to buses, bus shelters, and stops using plastic contact paper. The portion covering windows is designed so riders can still see out. About a half-dozen buses are decorated each year.

 

But the palette of colors used last winter leaned heavily toward darker colors, and Mr. Gee and

 

Francis Frey, a transit authority trustee, both said they received complaints from riders who found the deep-toned decorations to be disturbing and even "intimidating."

 

Mr. Frey said he believes the arts program "still can be a good thing," but participants need to consider a more "commercial application of the art."

 

"The folks that I hear from tend to be a little bit older and, to them, it just doesn't look good. I love art, I love the opportunity for the kids to develop the art," Mr. Frey said after the meeting, noting that many of the buses' abstract designs are developed by Bowling Green State University students. "But we have to recognize there's a combination of concerns here."

 

Michelle Carlson, the arts commission's programs coordinator, said she doesn't think complying with TARTA's directive will be a problem for the commission as it chooses concepts for this year's theme, "Restore Planet Earth."

 

A common angle for that theme, she said, would be to "focus on the negative" by addressing such problems as pollution, but there should be ways to use brighter colors and more uplifting written imagery.

 

The commission also has come to learn that certain colors and designs don't work particularly well when they become dirty from road grime or fade due to sunlight.

 

"It is meant to be a piece of artwork to be seen by the general public," Ms. Carlson said. "I don't really see [the TARTA directive] as restrictive."

 

Previous themes for "Art in TARTA" have included "Bridges," "Jazz," and "Glass."

 

About 20 buses have been decorated for the program so far, though some of the older ones have lost their special decorations because of damage or fading.

putting the Art in TARTA

Interesting that COTA recently went exactly the opposite direction: taking the "wraps" (mostly advertising) off of it's buses due to the cost of maintaining and replacing them, as well as re-painting the buses.

Senator urges local solution for complaints about TARTA

Article published November 29, 2007

By CARL RYAN

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

A local solution would be the best way to deal with complaints about poor TARTA service, state Sen. Randy Gardner (R., Bowling Green) yesterday told a gathering of officials from communities served by the transit agency.  But failing that, he said, he would press ahead with legislation allowing communities to opt out of regional transportation pacts without needing unanimous permission from the other members.

 

"My first preference is always with local government," Mr. Gardner said in Perrysburg City Council chambers.  "Is there a way for Wood and Lucas County to come together and improve public transportation without involving the legislature?"

 

State law dating to 1965 requires unanimous approval from member communities for a municipality to leave or join a regional transportation agency.  Perrysburg officials have led the campaign to change the law, arguing that their community pays an exorbitant price for bus service that isn't much used and that TARTA is unaccountable because it has a captive membership.  Perrysburg officials have attracted support from colleagues in Maumee, Waterville, Rossford, Sylvania, and Spencer Township.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071129/NEWS11/711290356/-1/NEWS

Transit leaders to rethink fleet, routes of TARTA service

Close levy win prompts call for full review

Article published December 9, 2007

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

Spurred by the relatively close margin by which a TARTA levy request passed last month, the transit agency’s general manager has promised a comprehensive review of the Toledo area’s bus network and the vehicle fleet used to operate it.

 

“This is going to be a busy year,” James Gee, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority’s top executive, told the agency’s board of trustees last week.

 

The system’s route structure, under which most buses run between downtown Toledo and outlying suburbs or neighborhoods, and its use of full-sized buses on lightly patronized suburban routes, were issues TARTA officials heard about during the levy campaign, which ended with 53 percent approval on Nov 6.

 

But TARTA has only three years before the second of its two property taxes expires and will need to be replaced or renewed. “We need to start working now” to be prepared for that campaign, Mr. Gee told the TARTA board.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071209/NEWS11/71209003/-1/NEWS

A good friend of mine has let me know about this House Bill 480 that is floating around to "cast a stone" against Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, the bill was originally H.R. 208, S.B. 88 which allows any communities to "opt" out of any public transit.  But State Senator Randy Gardner felt too much heat and opposition from statewide public transit and now he's revealing a new bill that specifies TARTA only which is downright discrimination.  The Republican Party in this state is out to kill transit authorities.  I urge you to contact your local legislatures and tell them "NO for H.R. Bill 480" because we "urban-city" lovers know it's imperative to have regional transit in Ohioan communities to provide the mobility options besides a private vehicle.

 

Here is the direct link to the H.R. Bill 480http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_480

 

Here is the letter of opposition to the H.R. Bill 480 from TARTA:

 

Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority Opposes

House Bill 480

 

Position Statement

The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) opposes Ohio House Bill 480. This bill, introduced February 14, 2008, gives cities and townships that are current members of TARTA the right to withdraw unilaterally from the Authority.

 

House Bill 480 differs from a similar bill, House Bill 208 introduced in 2007, in two significant ways. First, along with granting permission to withdraw from a Regional Transit Authority (RTA), HB 480 also includes an unmanageable and unrealistic provision letting jurisdictions join and then withdraw after a three-year trial (opt-in clause).  Second, the proposed legislation is discriminatory, since parameters contained in the proposal limit it only to TARTA.

 

In TARTAs’ opinion, enactment of HB 480 will threaten its existence.  TARTA currently provides residents efficient and effective public transit options they have come to depend on and use. To deny current and potential users transit services will disrupt their lives and, in many instances, will make it difficult for them to maintain their standard of living. 

 

TARTA favors continuing current regulations that require all members of an RTA to agree to the withdrawal of a current member from the RTA. 

 

Reasons for TARTA Opposition

TARTA opposes Ohio House Bill 480 because the unilateral withdrawal of a member from TARTA will impact riders directly throughout the entire TARTA service area.

 

The withdrawal means residents within that area will no longer have transit services available to them. Further, riders from other areas will not be able to use public transit to access the withdrawn area. Such a withdrawal can create unnecessary transportation challenges across the state, instead of making it easier for residents to rely on public transportation.

 

The unilateral withdrawal of a member from an RTA will impact directly those who depend on public transit the most. The withdrawal will make it difficult, if not impossible, to move from place to place freely for those without personal transportation, without finances or who do not know how to drive.  Also, it will make it difficult, if not impossible, for the mobility challenged to move freely from place to place.   

 

The unilateral withdrawal of a member from an RTA and the resulting lack of public transportation could deny some residents living within the withdrawn area the ability to pursue employment, medical assistance, education, family visits and social and cultural opportunities. This goes against the very purpose upon which RTAs were founded – to ensure public transportation options are available to those who need them the most.

 

The unilateral withdrawal of a member from an RTA will have a direct, negative impact on the overall operation of the RTA to which it belonged. The withdrawal will require the RTA to adjust routes and budgets, both of which can cause inefficiencies and render previous scheduling ineffective. Making the necessary changes also will cause additional hardships within the organization with everything from union contracts to marketing efforts. 

 

The unilateral withdrawal of a member from an RTA is unfair to other RTA member communities. The remaining members will have to take on additional responsibilities as a result of the withdrawal. Contracts and financial arrangements entered into in good faith by the various communities in the RTA may no longer be valid because of the withdrawal. Yet, the reasons underlying these contracts and financial arrangements will continue and solutions must be sought. 

 

The unilateral withdrawal of a member from an RTA will increase the financial burden on the remaining communities, possibly creating instability. The fixed-cost burden and increasing energy costs will have to be spread over a smaller base, requiring those communities remaining to pay an increased portion of these costs. Such cost increases, eventually, will be passed on to the remaining riders, who often rely on public transportation as the most cost-effective transportation option.

 

The unilateral withdrawal of a member from an RTA will negatively impact the retention of existing businesses and industries within and outside of the RTA’s area by denying employees and potential clients/customers the ability to get to and from that business or industry. Further, the area’s ability to attract new business and industry will be hampered severely by the same inability on the part of employees and clients/customers.

 

The opt-in language, positioned as being pro-transit, is in reality unrealistic and unmanageable. HB 480 includes language which allows communities to enter the transit authority for a three-year trial period.  Unfortunately, given the purchasing period of additional vehicles is 6-18 months along with the time necessary to attract and train employees, three years is not adequate time to begin all services and adequately demonstrate the value of public transit.

 

The bill clearly discriminates against TARTA.  As written, HB 480 contains population and tax limitations that cover only one RTA in Ohio, TARTA.  This is discrimination in its most blatant form.  If HB 480 passes, the only RTA that will be required by law to both permit unilateral withdrawal of a member as well as the opting in of a nonmember in the geographic jurisdiction is TARTA.  None of the state’s other RTAs will be so burdened or discriminated against. 

 

Action

TARTA urges all member jurisdictions and patrons to contact their state legislators, especially their state representatives, and register their corporate and personal opposition to Ohio HB 480.  Please feel free to use the portions of this TARTA statement that most clearly reflect your current situation.  To contact your state legislator, go to http://www.legislature.state.oh.us.

 

www.tarta.com

 

 

Here is a non-profit group called Mobility Alliance of Northwest Ohio that promotes mobility options in the region and here is their concern paper to the H.R. Bill 480:

 

The Mobility Alliance Opposes - House Bill 480.

(Toledo, Ohio, March 12, 2008)

 

Concern:

The Mobility Alliance opposes Ohio House Bill 480. The bill, if passed, gives political entities / suburbs that are members of TARTA the right to withdraw unilaterally from this Regional Transit Authority (RTA).  This action, if taken, will ultimately undermine local transportation options for individuals with disabilities, first-time workers, senior citizens, and others who depend on public transportation in their daily lives.

 

Background

The Mobility Alliance is a grass roots organization composed of citizens, public officials and business people formed to promote mobility options in Northwest Ohio.

 

House Bill 480 was introduced at the request of a Toledo suburb City Council and now several other suburb communities are joining the campaign without being aware of all the implications.  These bills would allow the suburb communities to withdraw unilaterally from the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, or TARTA. This would be detrimental to these communities and its members for a number of reasons.

 

While the bill’s major sponsors have characterized this bill as a “voters’ rights issue,” the members of the Mobility Alliance fear this proposal may result in our members losing the ability to move about freely within the communities in pursuit of employment, medical assistance, education, family visits and social opportunities.

 

The bill’s enactment will threaten available public transportation to individuals in Northwest Ohio who rely on this service, without providing a plan to fill the gap. TARTA has been assembled with great skill and care over the years and currently provides effective public transit options.  We need assistance to improve, not eliminate.

 

The members of the Mobility Alliance and others living within TARTA’s service area have come to rely on these transit services. Many of our members already are mobility challenged. Any withdrawal from TARTA will make it difficult, if not impossible, to get to or from communities for those with homes, employment, physicians or family members outside of Toledo proper. 

 

To deny our members transit services now will disrupt lives and, in many instances, will make it difficult for our members to maintain their standard of living. 

 

Further, such a withdrawal will increase the financial burden on the communities that remain with TARTA, possibly creating instability within existing TARTA routes and service. The communities that remain will have to pay an increased portion of the fixed costs. Eventually, this can lead to fare increases that will be passed on to the remaining riders.  It also would lead to service cuts which would eliminate access to necessary jobs and services in our region.  And even more, it could lead to other communities deciding a segment of their population is not to justify the cost of public transportation.

 

The Mobility Alliance favors continuing current regulations which require all members of an RTA to agree to the withdrawal of a current member from the RTA. Maintaining the current regulations will preserve the delicate balance that currently exists and will continue to allow Alliance members equal ability to move freely about our communities.

 

Please work with us to develop a better financial support system for public transportation before eliminating any current services.

 

www.MobilityAlliance-nwo.org

 

The mission and purpose of the Mobility Alliance of Northwest Ohio is to support public transportation and raise the awareness of its importance.  The Mobility Alliance of Northwest Ohio shall be formed in three categories; Education, Access and Environment.  The Mobility Alliance of Northwest Ohio works with transportation and transit users, taxpayers, business community, stakeholders, and media outlets to bring about a positive understanding of the mobility options and the commitment to provide the best possible service to the community.

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080401/NEWS11/804010359/-1/NEWS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article published April 1, 2008

 

TARTA opt-out will hurt region, McNamara says

 

By IGNAZIO MESSINA

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

 

A Toledo city councilman yesterday said a proposal to give communities the option of voting themselves out of regional transportation systems such as TARTA would hinder regional economic development.

 

Councilman Joe McNamara plans to introduce a resolution urging the Ohio General Assembly to reject House Bill 480, also known as the TARTA Voters' Rights Act. It was introduced by State Rep. Randy Gardner (R., Bowling Green) in February.

 

Mr. McNamara said the bill would "decrease the mobility of the work force, increase the cost of running public transportation, and [it] rejects the concept of regionalism."

 

........

TARTA diesel costs could drive service cuts, hike in fares

Article published April 21, 2008

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

Record-high gasoline prices may be prompting more Toledo-area commuters to try the bus, but at the same time, even pricier diesel fuel could lead to higher fares and reduced service.

 

The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority's adult ridership, the sector most likely to respond to gasoline prices, rose by 8 percent during the first three months of 2008 compared with the same months in 2007, James Gee, the authority's general manager, reported Friday.

 

But rising ridership has been outpaced by a rise in the cost for diesel fuel that powers TARTA's fleet.  That has transit officials looking at trimming service at a time when it might otherwise seem optimal for increasing service in metro Toledo.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080421/NEWS11/804210329/-1/NEWS

 

Consider the irony here: another transit system seeing an increase in ridership due to the impact of fuel crisis while, at the same time, being forced to decrease service due to the lack of public funding for transit.

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080516/NEWS11/805160400/-1/NEWS

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Article published May 16, 2008

 

Rising price at gas pumps ups ridership for TARTA

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

 

Pricey gas means more people are riding buses in Toledo, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority's top executive said yesterday.

 

Adult and senior citizen TARTA ridership rose 17 percent during April, one of the sharpest monthly increases in the transit agency's 38-year history. Last month, 243,714 adults and seniors boarded buses, 34,909 more than came aboard during April, 2007.

 

The monthly total ridership, 471,847, marked an even greater increase: 27 percent.

 

............

We had eight TARTA threads!! I've combined them into one great thread.

TARTA mulls service cuts

Plan would reduce routes, eliminate bus transfers

Article published Friday, July 18, 2008

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority bus service would be reduced by about 7 percent, primarily affecting suburban routes, under a cost-cutting plan developed by agency staff members that will be the subject of public hearings next week.

 

Most prominent among the service cuts are elimination of the No. 2X Sylvania Express and No. 3 Crosstown routes except for rush-hour service, and elimination of Route 34R service along River Road.  Many other routes are to be modified to varying degrees, and a few routes will be expanded.

 

To a large degree, the plan places heavier reliance on the Call-A-Ride routes to serve the transit authority's suburban riders, TARTA General Manager James Gee said.  And those Call-A-Ride patrons will pay more: the transit authority is proposing to eliminate the special 60-cent fare for those routes in favor of charging its regular $1 on all routes.

 

If approved by the TARTA board of trustees, the changes will take effect Aug. 24.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080718/NEWS11/807180394/-1/NEWS

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080725/NEWS11/807250344/-1/NEWS

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Article published July 25, 2008

 

Riders tell TARTA to hit brakes on cuts in service

Citizens angry over reductions in runs of No. 3 bus

 

By ANGIE SCHMITT

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

For years, the No. 3 bus has been Dolores Hughes' primary means of transportation.

 

Ms. Hughes, 58, and many other residents of the Westmoor Retirement Apartments on North Byrne Road rely on the North/South crosstown bus, which runs about every 80 minutes and connects Point Place with Westfield Franklin Park, the University of Toledo, the Southwyck area, and Perrysburg.

 

"That No. 3 is our livelihood," Ms. Hughes said. "You take that bus away, you're taking away my way to get to the doctor or the dentist."

 

But the No. 3 has been proposed for reduction in range and frequency under a cost-savings plan being reviewed by the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority.

...............

I would have thought the #3 would be one of the busier TARTA routes (it's one of only two routes I ever used as a student at UT, the other being the #22).  I would think there would be significant ridership at least between Franklin Park, UT, and MCO/MUO/UTMC.  Too bad UT's transit system duplicates this route at least between main campus and the medical campus - there's a missed opportunity for UT and TARTA to work together and cover this route.

 

UT working together with the city and community. . . now that's crazy talk. Next you'll tell me there is strong support for the liberal arts there too.

UT working together with the city and community. . . now that's crazy talk. Next you'll tell me there is strong support for the liberal arts there too.

 

[off topic] Well they do have that fancy art education building a few miles from campus. That counts, doesn't it? [/off topic]

 

So back on topic, why don't all the municipalities in Lucas County participate in TARTA?  Is there no public transit in Oregon, Northwood, etc?  I thought public transit was usually a county government thing.

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080730/NEWS11/938429575/-1/NEWS

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Article published July 30, 2008

 

Ohio gives TARTA $1.7M for low-emission engines

 

 

A $1,714,627 state grant will allow the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority to replace the diesel engines on 33 of its buses with low-emission engines, officials said.

 

The Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant was one of 10 announced yesterday by the Ohio Department of Development.

 

The lower-emission engines will be installed in buses TARTA bought in 1998 and 1999. They are expected to reduce that fleet’s annual hydrocarbon pollution by 4,000 pounds and its nitrogen oxides emissions by 33,000 pounds.

 

TARTA must provide a local match of $428,656.75 to the state funding, which can include the labor involved to install the engines and other in-kind work.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080808/NEWS11/808080346/-1/NEWS

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Article published August 8, 2008

 

TARTA gets $1.2M grant for buses

 

The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority has been awarded a $1.2 million grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation to buy four new buses.

 

The grant will be used to replace four 35-foot buses that are 17 years old, General Manager Jim Gee said.

 

The award was the second major capital grant TARTA has received in two weeks. On July 30, the transit authority received a $1.7 million grant from the Ohio Department of Development to install low-emission engines in 33 of its buses.

 

Mr. Gee said the two grants will help TARTA maintain its 174-bus fleet, but won't offset operating shortfalls caused by high gas prices and reduced state support. "These are capital funds that are specifically for the purpose of replacement of used vehicles," he said. "I cannot use them to pay for operating costs, such as fuel and wages."

TARTA misses bus on timetables

Transit boss chastised over tardy printing of schedules

By DAVID PATCH, BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

More than a week after TARTA revised many of its routes to cut costs, paper timetables are unavailable for much of its system - a problem the agency's top executive said will be cured next week.

 

James Gee, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority's general manager, told the agency's board of trustees that he held off publishing the new timetables because there were numerous last-minute revisions to accommodate rider requests.

 

TARTA printed makeshift timetables in-house for many routes and sent them to Park Station in downtown Toledo for distribution, the transit manager said, and standard fold-up timetables have now been sent out for printing and should be available next week.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080905/NEWS11/809050345/-1/NEWS

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080906/NEWS11/809069933/-1/NEWS

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Article published September 6, 2008

 

TARTA study to include look at how agency is funded

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

When a Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority consultant studies the local transit system during the coming fall and winter, it wont just look at where the buses go now and how that should be changed in the future.

 

Parsons Brinckerhoffs $140,000 Comprehensive Operational Analysis also will consider whether the property-tax system that provides TARTAs local subsidy a funding source that has become increasingly controversial of late in Toledos suburbs should be changed.

 

TARTAs funding structure is fairly unusual in Ohio, said Tim Rosenberger, a senior transportation planner at Parsons Brinckerhoffs Cleveland office who will direct the study.

..................

Except that the first line isn't quite true. Metro in Cincinnati is funded mostly by a percentage of the city's earnings tax.

Studying TARTA

By Maggie Thurber

Toledo Free Press

Guest Opinion

 

In 2002, TMACOG and TARTA decided to do a regional transit study. By 2003, they were holding public meetings to see if the area needed more or less public transportation.

 

The most common complaints heard were: Toledo's buses don't run late enough and don't run often enough, and They don't go everywhere people need or want to go, and they take too long to get to the places they do serve. Even then, such criticisms were well known.

 

..........

 

Former Lucas County Commissioner Maggie Thurber is the host of WSPD's Eye on Toledo. She blogs at http://thurbersthoughts.blogspot.com.

 

http://www.toledofreepress.com/?id=8638

Transit authority absorbs TARPS

Complaints dogged paratransit service

Article published September 27, 2008

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

After 19 years of hiring a contractor to run its special-needs van service, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority's attempt to take its complaint-plagued paratransit operations in-house hits the streets tomorrow.

 

Toledo Area Regional Paratransit Service (TARPS) ridership has continued a long-term rise this year - its passenger count for January through August exceeds the total from all of 2005 - but the operation remains dogged with rider complaints about early and late pickups, excessively long ride times, and surly drivers.

 

James Gee, the transit authority's general manager, said greater direct accountability for TARPS customer service was a primary reason he recommended in the spring that TARTA trustees neither renew the agency's contract with First Transit Inc., nor hire any of three other contractors who bid to take over the paratransit service when First Transit's contract expires Wednesday.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080927/NEWS11/809270323/-1/NEWS

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081008/NEWS18/810080287/-1/NEWS

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Article published October 8, 2008

 

Perrysburg takes 1st step toward quitting TARTA

 

 

Perrysburg City Council last night gave first reading to a resolution asking TARTAs board of trustees to allow the city to withdraw from the regional transportation agency.

 

Under the terms of the resolution, Perrysburg would have a year to leave TARTA once it received permission. That would give the city time to arrange alternative public transportation.

 

............

Article published October 20, 2008

 

TARTA plans 3 meetings to discuss area service

 

Two hearings will be held Wednesday for discussion of current and future public transit service in and around Toledo.  The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority has scheduled the two hearings, along with a third scheduled two weeks later, as part of an ongoing, six-month study of its route structure, services, coverage area, and funding.

 

The first hearing Wednesday will start at 11:30 a.m. on the third floor of the SeaGate Centre in Toledo.  The second is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Way Public Library in Perrysburg.  The final hearing will be Nov. 5, also at 6 p.m., at the Sylvania Branch Library.  TARTA operates fixed-route buses and paratransit service in Toledo, Ottawa Hills, Sylvania, Sylvania Township, Spencer Township, Maumee, Waterville, Perrysburg, and Rossford.

 

Its route network relies on a primary hub in downtown Toledo, although routes also converge at several shopping malls.  Unlike most Ohio transit systems, which rely on sales taxes for local subsidy, TARTA's primary source of local funding is a pair of property taxes in its service area.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081020/NEWS16/810200335/-1/NEWS

Article published October 23, 2008

 

TARTA gets earful of user complaints at hearings

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

While a lunchtime hearing yesterday was intended to receive testimony about the future of public transportation in the Toledo area, rider grievances about recent service cuts and other Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority shortcomings dominated the discussion.

 

During a second hearing last night in Perrysburg on the "Comprehensive Operations Analysis" a TARTA consultant is doing, the discussion focused more on Perrysburg's future without TARTA should city leaders successfully withdraw from the transit authority.

 

Options for redrawing TARTA's route map and potentially extending buses into parts of the area now unserved are on the table as Parsons Brinckerhoff, a Cleveland-based transit authority consultant, embarks on its study that also will look at how local transit is funded, said Tim Rosenberger, the consultant's project manager.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081023/NEWS16/810230388/-1/NEWS

 

See the action alert from the American Public Transportation Association posted at:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,14971.msg357239.html#msg357239

Article published January 22, 2009

 

TARTA enjoys slight increase in riders; other bus services up

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

TARTA ridership increased slightly during 2008, with a decline in student ridership more than offset by increased numbers of adult and senior-citizen passengers.  Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority buses carried 4,622,656 passengers last year, a 0.3 percent increase from 4,609,701 in 2007.  Adult and senior citizen ridership was up 7.8 percent, to 2,747,520, while student ridership declined 2.7 percent, to 1,299,445.

 

The transit authority set ridership records, meanwhile, for its Call-A-Ride and Toledo Area Regional Paratransit Service operations.  Call-A-Ride buses provide flexible-route service in Toledo’s suburbs, while TARPS offers door-to-door service to people whose disabilities preclude their use of regular buses.

 

The Muddy Shuttles to Toledo Mud Hens games also had a record ridership of 28,350, although that number was included in the overall TARTA statistics, too.  The ridership increases occurred, however, despite two rounds of service cuts the transit authority imposed during the summer to counter skyrocketing fuel costs.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090122/NEWS16/901220360

 

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090219/NEWS16/902199972

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Article published February 19, 2009

 

TARTA weighs countywide service

Talks call for sales tax to fund transit system

 

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

The process for possibly expanding Toledos bus system to include all of Lucas County, and fund it with a sales tax instead of property levies, could give Perrysburg a bargaining chip if it maintains its desire to withdraw from TARTA and set up its own public transit.

 

Thats because admitting Lucas County as a Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority member a necessary prelude before the transit authority could propose any countywide tax would require the consent of all existing members, including Perrysburg, whose city council in December passed a resolution seeking to start proceedings for pulling out of TARTA.

 

 

.........

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090421/NEWS16/904210326

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Article published April 21, 2009

 

TARTA offers plan on service, tax dollars

By JENNIFER FEEHAN

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

Lee Graham showed up for the TARTA meeting in Perrysburg last week in the same way he travels just about everywhere: on a TARTA minibus.

 

"I'm legally blind, but I get around," the 87-year-old said after taking a seat in Perrysburg City Council chambers.

 

He was among about a dozen people who showed up for a presentation by TARTA General Manager James Gee about the transit agency's plans for improving service and potentially changing the way it receives tax dollars.

 

........

Article published June 11, 2009

 

U.S. releases $8.5M to TARTA for 39 buses, facility repairs

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

The Toledo Area Transit Authority ordered 39 new buses this spring and now it has the money to pay for them.  The Federal Transit Administration yesterday formally released slightly more than $8.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to the transit agency, most of it to be used for vehicle purchases, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced.

 

James Gee, TARTA’s general manager, said his agency anticipated the stimulus grant and ordered the buses ahead of time in hopes of getting a jump on production, because other transit agencies are likely to order vehicles with their share of the same funds.  About $1 million of the grant will be used for improvements at TARTA’s bus garage on West Central Avenue, including a new bus wash rack, heating and air conditioning, and paving and concrete repair. 

 

In April, the TARTA board of trustees approved buying 19 35-foot El Dorado transit buses costing $342,000 each, for a total of $6,498,000.  Of that, $5,850,000 will come from the stimulus funds, and the balance will come from other grant sources, Mr. Gee said.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090611/NEWS16/906119959

Reminder: passenger rail and transit advocacy meetings are coming up in a number of cities, some as early as this weekend. All are public meetings and most are free of charge.

 

For details, see:

http://www.allaboardohio.org/cms/index.php

 

Volunteer to help locally in getting business owners, chambers of commerce, young professionals groups, student organizations and others to contact their state legislators to tell them you want passenger trains and more funding for public transit. Develop and coordinate messages and advocacy tools that will work in your community.

 

A little volunteerism can and does go a long way!

I ended up deleting half of the articles out of this thread, most of them posted by Noozer. I can't take the time to go through and edit all of these.

Article published October 17, 2009

TARTA seeks to end holiday service, cut Sunday hours

 

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

TARTA buses would run for fewer hours on Sundays, not at all on six major holidays, and less frequently during off-peak hours the rest of the week under a package of proposed cuts intended to offset a forecasted decline in the agency's levy revenue.

 

Read more at:

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091017/NEWS16/910170350/0/NEWS16

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091106/NEWS16/911060334

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Article published November 6, 2009

 

TARTA backs off Sunday, holiday cuts

Leaders mull bigger daily cuts instead after meetings

 

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

At the urging of riders who turned out for public meetings, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority is backing away from a plan to eliminate all service on holidays and early Sunday mornings to balance its budget, but with deeper weekday cuts as a likely trade-off.

 

Among about 100 people who turned out for two public-comment meetings Oct. 22, the most common complaint was that eliminating Sunday-morning and holiday service would leave riders without a way to work or, in the case of Sunday morning, church, James Gee, the authority's general manager, told TARTA trustees yesterday.

OK, I'm not yelling here. I'm just using really large, red letters to make this flier easier for you to find in the future......

 

SAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT!

Download the flier from:

http://members.cox.net/corridorscampaign/Save%20public%20transit%20flier.pdf

 

I need your help! Please print out this flier in large quantities and post them legally in visible places. Or just hand them out to people on your bus or train each day. If the driver asks you to stop, please comply. Thanks!

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091124/NEWS16/911240390

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Article published November 24, 2009

 

TARTA will keep holiday, Sunday runs

Service responds to outcry from riders but cuts hours

 

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

Expect to wait longer for the next bus if you miss yours after Dec. 27 - but there still will be buses to catch in metro Toledo on Sunday mornings and holidays.

 

The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority yesterday announced its revised plan for a 12 percent service cut that General Manager James Gee said will save the agency $1.8 million a year - enough to offset a $900,000 decline forecast for its local levies next year plus compensate for rising costs and the threat of further levy losses in 2011.

 

In response to an outcry from riders, who said the cuts would keep them from getting to church or work or visiting relatives on holidays, the plan preserves limited service on six major holidays on which Mr. Gee had previously proposed to cancel all operations. The revision, approved last week by the TARTA Board of Trustees' routes and schedules committee, reinstates Sunday morning service, at the price of creating a 165-minute service gap on Sunday afternoons.

 

Read more at link above:

I realize many of you don't read the Lorain County Transit thread. I encourage you to do so today as some news there is likely a harbinger of things to come for all Ohio counties:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=16502.msg444095#msg444095

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091204/NEWS16/912040329

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Article published December 4, 2009

 

TARTA holds back on paper timetables for service plan

 

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

Schedule information about TARTA's scaled-back service plan that takes effect Dec. 27 should be available by telephone and through the agency's Web site by the end of next week, but paper timetables won't be distributed until the week before.

 

James Gee, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority's general manager, said issuing the paper timetables sooner than that would confuse some riders who might mistakenly think they are already in effect.

 

"We always create confusion if we put them out too early," Mr. Gee told the transit authority's board of trustees.

 

(Full story at link above:

Article published May 12, 2010

 

Lucas Co. seeks TARTA funding shift

Plan to hike sales tax to 7.25% to replace 2 property levies

By DAVID PATCH

and JC REINDL

BLADE STAFF WRITERS

 

Lucas County commissioners yesterday formally requested county membership in the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, a step toward expanding bus service throughout the county but also toward raising the county's sales tax to among the highest in Ohio.

 

If enacted, the TARTA sales tax would replace two property levies - a combined 2.5 mills - the agency now collects in its nine member communities: Toledo, Ottawa Hills, Sylvania, Sylvania Township, Spencer Township, Waterville, Maumee, Perrysburg, and Rossford.

 

Instead, the transit authority would collect a half cent of sales tax on all taxable purchases in its service area, which would include all of Lucas County and, at least initially, Rossford and Perrysburg.

 

Full story at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100512/NEWS16/5120332

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Article published June 3, 2010

 

TARTA asks area to back sales tax

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority's top executive yesterday asked agency member communities not to abandon a proposed agency reorganization that would include a half-cent sales tax throughout Lucas County while he strives to persuade Sylvania Township trustees to reverse their negative vote Tuesday that would otherwise block the plan.

 

"TARTA is not giving up and will work until time expires to communicate to the public and to our member communities as well as to convince the Sylvania Township trustees to reconsider yesterday's opposition vote," James Gee, the transit authority's general manager, wrote in a letter to community leaders in the transit district.

 

More at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100603/NEWS16/6030397

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http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100708/NEWS16/7080364

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Article published July 8, 2010

 

TARTA's board mulls next move on funding

Replacement, renewal of levy among options

 

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

With two of TARTA's nine member communities having rejected a plan to switch to a sales tax from property taxes as a local subsidy source, agency officials must decide if they want to ask district voters to renew or even replace part of the existing transit tax this fall.

 

The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority Board of Trustees had moved its August meeting up by a week, to July 29, in hopes that it would act on a resolution to place a half-cent sales tax on the Nov. 2 ballot in an expanded transit district that would include all of Lucas County as well as Perrysburg and Rossford in Wood County.

 

More at link above:

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Article published July 22, 2010

 

TARTA panel recommends 1-mill tax renewal

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

A committee of the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority Board of Trustees has recommended the agency request renewal of one of its two property taxes on the Nov. 2 ballot.

 

The 1-mill levy, from which revenue expires at the end of next year, generates about $7 million annually for the transit authority.

 

Joan Rife, the authority's attorney, said a replacement levy would boost annual revenue by about $500,000. Ms. Rife said that while property values in TARTA's service district have declined in recent years, they're still higher than they were when voters approved the tax 10 years ago.

 

Full story at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100722/NEWS16/307229973