VA: GLTC postpones decision on Sunday service after 'unkind comments' at council meeting

The Greater Lynchburg Transit Company board of directors voted Wednesday to postpone a decision on whether to suspend Sunday bus routes, a temporary service reduction that was under consideration due to a shortage of drivers.

After some members expressed concerns with making a decision before the board can get a better understanding of GLTC’s financial outlook, the board voted unanimously to table the decision to its April 1 meeting.

In the meantime, the board will be holding its annual retreat on March 19 at GLTC’s office on Bradley Drive, where it hopes to get updates on funding that could help the agency make its decision on whether service cutbacks are needed. The public is invited to attend the annual retreat.

After the meeting, Cameron Howe, chair of the GLTC’s board of directors, told reporters the transit agency hopes to take a deeper dive with the city of Lynchburg and other partners on funding sources for the upcoming fiscal year.

“It’s really important that we provide transit as often and frequently and be as stable as possible with our service,” Howe said.

According to data, 68% of its riders rely on GLTC to get to work. “Work happens seven days a week, so we want Sunday service,” she said.

In January, GLTC announced that current staffing levels were insufficient to maintain reliable Sunday operations while ensuring service quality throughout the rest of the week.

At Wednesday’s meeting, GLTC General Manager Josh Moore told the board, which is composed of nine members, that the agency is doing “a little bit better staffing-wise” than it was in January when it announced a possible temporary suspension of Sunday service.

Maintaining a sufficient number of drivers at GLTC and other transit systems across the country is a systemic issue, Moore said.

GLTC currently operates 14 bus routes within Lynchburg and a portion of Madison Heights seven days a week. Sunday is the day with the lowest ridership.

Moore said the system would like to hire about three new bus drivers but would prefer to have even more operators to cover any absences or vacations.

The GLTC board is hoping to hold a joint meeting with Lynchburg City Council to discuss funding and explain how there must be a strong funding commitment from the city and the state in order to receive matching funds from the federal government.

As for potential cuts to GLTC service in the new fiscal year starting July 1 beyond suspending bus routes on Sunday, Moore said that “from a personnel management standpoint, if I knew that we were going to be permanently reducing some service, I would not hire employees, because I do not like to hire employees and turn around and lay them off.”

At the March 19 board retreat, members will be discussing how they can best serve the community under various funding options.

“We would be looking at improving efficiency on some of our routes,” Howe told reporters. “We would look at changing our hours. We need to make sure that we have both the drivers to meet the demands of the city and that we are being resourceful and responsible with our service.”

Unlike public schools and other public entities where the funding can be more stable, GLTC and other transit agencies rely on a lot of funding that “ebbs and flows,” Howe said.

“Based on initial conversations recently with the city, I am cautiously optimistic that we will be able to get to a spot that provides the relief we’re looking for in terms of stability of our routes,” she said.

GLTC board member confronts city staff

The issue of funds the GLTC receives from the federal government was raised by Andre Miller, a member of the transit agency's board, who spoke during public comment at city council's most recent meeting on Feb. 24. Miller said the "consequences of the city manager's proposed budget is loss of revenue equals loss of service. Loss of service equals loss of ridership, and the loss of ridership equals the loss of more funding."

As he looked over at City Manager Wynter Benda, Miller said "this is unacceptable and is a death spiral, and we will not engage in that."

After Miller's comments, council voted 6-0 to have a joint work session with the GLTC's board.

In response to Miller's comments, Donna Witt, CFO of the city of Lynchburg, sent a memo to members of city council Tuesday afternoon explaining that the city manager has not yet delivered his proposed fiscal year 2027 budget to council.

Based on estimated revenue and the current real estate tax rate set by council, Witt also noted that city staff sent instructions to departments and agencies explaining that their budget submissions for the upcoming fiscal year must not exceed the budget allocation for fiscal year 2026, and all inflationary increases must be absorbed within that allocation.

When city staff received GLTC's budget submission in December, it did not comply with the budget instructions, Witt said.

Witt said her office received an email from Moore that said the GLTC board "considers this a flat budget because it maintains the current level of service."

In the memo, Witt countered that GLTC "has relied on one-time grant funds to support ongoing operations, despite knowing those funds would expire after FY 2026."

"GLTC has not identified a plan to address the resulting fiscal cliff and is now requesting that the City assume these costs, while indicating that failure to do so would result in significant service reductions," she said.

On Tuesday night, Howe sent an email to city council and the city manager apologizing for any "unkind comments" that Miller made at the Feb. 24 council meeting.

"I take full responsibility for the situation," Howe said. "I am sorry for negative discord and feelings that may have resulted from the public request."

But Howe also said in the email that the GLTC board is seeking a policy-level discussion, not a confrontation, with council "about the future of public transportation in Lynchburg."

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