Selected projects for the Federal Transit Administration’s competitive Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program include 107 projects in 50 states and territories, $7 million of which were awarded to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
The Green River Intra-county Transit System (GRITS) was awarded $1.2 million, the largest of 17 grants across the Commonwealth, which according to Dan Lanham, transit director for Audubon Area Community Services, will be used to replace 24 vehicles in the GRITS fleet.
“We have an excellent maintenance staff, but once the vehicles get over 200,000 miles, they get pretty expensive to maintain,” Lanham said. “This grant will help us replace a significant portion of our fleet and help us save money while providing nicer vehicles for our clients.”
According to Lanham, GRITS has 100 vehicles in its fleet. A majority of those are cut-away busses, of which 11 will be replaced. Lanham said there are currently 20 minivans in operation, but 13 of those will be replaced with Ford Transits, which is a significant upgrade for GRITS.
“A minivan will fit one wheelchair and one or two other people,” Lanham said. “A Transit will fit one wheelchair and five to six people. These new vehicles will make us much more efficient.”
The grant could only be used on infrastructure, Lanham said. But it came at the perfect time after statewide Medicaid cuts were announced in October. Lanham said that while other counties took a more significant hit, GRITS lost 26 percent of its annual budget.
“Ours was bad enough that we had to cut services we feel very strongly that we should be doing,” Lanham said.
Some of those services cut were free transportation for veterans to medical appointments and Freedom Flight participants. Lanham also said a route was cut that brought people outside of Daviess County into Owensboro for recreational and socialization for a small fee.
“We have had to alter our schedules dramatically,” Lanham said.
But the maintenance savings from replacing 24 aged vehicles will not be enough to bring those programs back. Lanham said he is hopefully that he will see changes in 2019 to allow those programs to return.
Lanham said grant funds will be received when the 24 vehicles are delivered to the GRITS garage, which he estimates will be around four months. After graphics are applied, cameras installed and inspections are finalized, Lanham said he expects the new vehicles to be on the road in late spring or early summer.
GRITS serves 22 counties with 96 percent of their service acting as a broker for Human Services Transportation Delivery program, offering transportation for Medicaid patients who don’t have access to a vehicles. GRITS also provides paid fairs for anyone who needs a ride as well as a partner with Owensboro Transit System to provide rides to those that can’t access the city bus system due to physical or mental disability.
