The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has awarded a $2.2-million grant to the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) that will combine with other federal funding for TARTA to purchase up to 12 new buses.
“We thank ODOT for this critical funding to invest in TARTA’s fleet,” said TARTA General Manager Kimberly Dunham. “This is an important step on the journey to bring additional funding to TARTA and prioritize what matters most for our customers and this region.”
TARTA currently maintains a fleet of 88 full-size buses with the oldest vehicles being 2001 models. Transit industry best practices advise the useful life of a public transit bus is 12 years and/or 500,000 miles. This year, TARTA announced a Fix It First Plan to address the age and reliability of its fleet by seeking grant opportunities and creative partnerships with peer transit agencies.
TARTA’s grant award was part of ODOT’s Ohio Transit Partnership Program (OTP2), which is providing more than $30 million in competitive grant awards to 37 Ohio public transit agencies. Demand for the grant program far exceeded available funds. Fifty-four transit agencies submitted 178 applications totaling more than $115 million in requests.
“OTP2 dollars provided through the state general fund are extremely important to Ohio’s public transportation systems,” said Ohio Public Transit Association President and Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority General Manager Claudia Amrhein. “These grants fund mobility projects providing improved access and quality of life for thousands of Ohioans who depend on public transit daily.”
TARTA has also announced a partnership with the Central Ohio Transit Authority to purchase 49 buses from the Columbus-based agency. Through these combined efforts, TARTA says it will be upgrading 50 percent of its fixed-route fleet by 2021.
