Transit advocates tell Senate Workforce Committee more state match needed to draw down $53 million in federal funds

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Representatives of the West Virginia Public Transit Association and the Mountain Transit Authority told the Senate Workforce Committee that the state is leaving roughly $53 million in federal transit funding undrawn because state match dollars are insufficient and urged lawmakers to increase annual state match support from about $2.2 million to $5 million.

"We are leaving, like, $53,000,000 of federal dollars on the table for FTA that we cannot draw down because we don't have the match money," West Virginia Public Transit Association President Paula Smith said during the committee's presentation. Smith is also executive director of Tri River Transit.

The request mattered to committee members because transit systems said the additional funding would allow them to expand service into more counties, increase limited routes that now run three days per week, and better support workforce access to jobs, training and medical care. The presenters described public transit as an economic driver that supports veterans, seniors and riders with disabilities.

"For every ... dollar that you federally ... invest into your local transit system, $5 is in return," Tim Thomas, general manager of Mountain Transit Authority, told the committee, attributing that finding to a study by the American Public Transportation Association. He described instances where restored or expanded service directly preserved jobs after employers faced worker shortages caused by insufficient transportation.

Smith told the committee West Virginia public transit operates in about 32 counties and reported large annual usage figures: "last year we transported over 4,000,000 passengers," including "over 570,000 senior trips, 319,000 disability trips," and routes that carry workforce riders to jobs and training. She said the state Division of Public Transit currently receives about $2,200,000 in state funds used as the match for federal grants and that increasing that to a total of $5,000,000 would allow systems to draw down the federal funds.

Committee members pressed for documentation. "Do you have any documentation that'll kind of support that?" the senator from Greenbrier asked. Smith said the presenters could obtain supporting materials from the Division of Public Transit and would provide them to the committee.

Committee members also asked operational questions: Tim Thomas said Mountain Transit Authority recently began service in Monroe County (service started Feb. 17, he said) and that local investments have allowed the agency to extend hours on some routes from early morning until evening. The presenters described nonemergency medical transportation arrangements: they operate ambulatory and ramp-equipped vehicles and are contracted to take trips assigned through the state's broker system, Motive Care, rather than providing ambulance- or stretcher-based transport.

On local contributions, Smith said state law requires only a nominal county contribution to transit—"they only have to donate 50 5 hundred dollars," she said—and that some counties provide more in practice. She also noted that West Virginia's state transit funding is smaller than many neighboring states, a disparity she highlighted with figures in the committee packet.

No appropriation vote or change to state funding occurred during the meeting. Senators asked presenters to supply the Division of Public Transit's documentation showing the match calculations and the federal dollars currently undrawn. The meeting record shows the committee established a quorum later, approved minutes from the prior meeting by voice vote and adjourned.

The presenters who spoke on the record were Paula Smith (West Virginia Public Transit Association president; executive director, Tri River Transit) and Tim Thomas (general manager, Mountain Transit Authority). Several senators asked questions but did not place a funding motion on the floor during this session.