With voter approval of a new funding mechanism and expanded ridership, TARTA is looking to make a number of changes in the new year.
Among those changes will be bus service in the Holland-Springfield community.
“Voters in Lucas County and Rossford have given TARTA the tools it needs to expand on recent improvements and create an efficient, reliable public transit system,” said Andy Cole, communication and marketing manager.
The ballot decision expanded TARTA’s service area to cover all of Lucas County.
Mr. Cole said it is too early to elaborate on details of how and where those buses will be traveling.
“Our system-wide redesign, TARTA Next, is evaluating possibilities for fixed-route, TARPS paratransit and Call-A-Ride services now,” he noted.
An advisory committee will present a proposal for service in those areas in 2022, and service should begin in late 2022, Mr. Cole said.
Issue 12 also repealed the two property tax levies currently funding TARTA and replaced them with a half-cent 10-year sales tax.
However, shoppers at Lucas County and Rossford businesses will not see the sales tax change for several months.
Mr. Cole said it will not go into effect until spring 2022, and TARTA doesn’t expect to see the first disbursement of funds until June or July next year.
In the meantime, the Ohio Department of Taxation has not yet issued its determination as to when the property tax levies will be repealed for Lucas County property owners who were paying the two TARTA levies.
Mr. Cole noted a number of other improvements for TARTA in the coming years, beginning with bus service on Sundays and holidays in 2022 for the current service area.
Eventually, there also will be expanded hours for service on all days, he said.
Before the election, TARTA was the only large transit system in Ohio still funded by a property tax.
“This is the end result of so much work by so many people, so it’s an exciting time to be at TARTA, and we’re so happy to have the confidence and support of the public as we push forward,” said TARTA board of trustees president Kelsie Hoagland. “Public transportation connects people to opportunities in the workforce and remains the only affordable mode of transport for many of those in the disabled, senior and veterans’ communities. The passage will help ensure that the road to independence remains open for everyone in the region.”
Sunday Bus Service Returning According to a proposal
According to a proposal presented to the TARTA board of trustees during a November 18 meeting, the start-up of Sunday service will include all current fixed-line routes, with buses running from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday service also will be extended to start at 7 a.m. Final details of the rollout will be determined after public comment in December.
TARTA CEO Laura Koprowski believes it is important to provide some form of seven-day-a-week service before new routes are added.
“Work on TARTA Next gave us a chance to hear from so many members of the community who depend on public transportation,” Ms. Koprowski said. “By a wide margin, the suggestion we heard most often from our customers was the desire for Sunday service.
“We’re pleased to start this sooner than we had originally planned for customers looking to get to work, religious services or family gatherings, and in appreciation for the voters of Lucas County and Rossford,” she continued.
“One of TARTA’s biggest steps forward in the last two years has been vastly improved customer service, and we see this as another component of that.”
More information on routes will be available after community feedback is collected in the coming weeks.
