CARTS officials: Agency needs transportation funds
Another county agency is giving out gas cards to the needy.
LISBON — Columbiana County’s public transit agency needs more money or cheaper gas prices to help make ends meet and serve its riders.
Community Action Rural Transit System officials presented that information Wednesday to the county commissioners in their 2007 report. The CARTS system is an arm of the Community Action Agency of Columbiana County.
While ridership went up, so did gas prices.
The agency spent $138,000 on gas in 2006, and $183,000 on gas in 2007.
That works out to a 16 percent increase in gas for 2006 and a 31 percent increase in 2007, according to CARTS.
In the first six months of 2008, the agency already has spent $128,000.
In 2007, the agency had 60,411 passengers who traveled more than 600,805 miles.
The CAA provides routes, on-demand trips and Saturday trips in East Liverpool and Salem for shoppers. It also provides trips in and out of the county for medical treatment.
Many of the medical trips are paid with federal funds given to the state, and ultimately, the county’s Department of Job Family Services that works with CARTS.
Phyllis Linderman, CAA’s transportation manager, said, “We want to serve more people, but we do have a bottom line.”
Keith Pitts, community development director for the CAA, said it was considering buying fuel in bulk, but that could mean having to buy an above-ground tank, protective fencing and other security measures.
Pitts said the agency will look for more revenue.
The CARTS officials said the growing ridership came from people who began riding the bus last year to save money.
The fare box revenue was also up but it won’t help much with gas prices, they added.
In 2007, fare box revenue was $38,852, up some 12 percent from $34,756 in 2006.
Some gas stations in the county have prices dipping below $3.80 a gallon, and some analysts predict it may go lower.
“It would be a blessing if it does,” Linderman added.
The county’s JFS recently completed a giveaway of federal funds for gas cards to help low-income people get to work.
The giveaway, for up to a total of $300 per person, for April through June was a total of $474,600.
Luann Dunham, the program administrator who oversees those federal dollars for JFS, said 38 cards were given out so far in July. Each card was worth $100 for gas.
Dunham said the program will be monitored monthly to determine the need.
wilkinson@vindy.com