County accepts roughly $1 million in additional state transit operating aid after ridership surge

The Rules Committee accepted and appropriated additional funding from the New York State Department of Transportation under the statewide mass transportation operating assistance (STOA) program after county transit officials reported a large increase in ridership. County staff said the STOA formula will increase payments to Orange County by approximately $1,000,000 with no county match required; the bump results from higher ridership across the system. Officials reported about 39,073 additional riders on fare-free programs in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year and an overall increase of 152,898 riders across the system. The village of Kiryas Joel accounted for roughly 109,400 of the increase, officials said. ‘We’ve seen a roughly 50% increase in ridership overall,’ a county transit official told the committee, and staff said reimbursement through STOA is tied to documented rider counts. The committee carried the appropriation by voice vote; members recorded no opposition.