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Rural Transit reports steady ridership, adds two replacement buses; county insurance costs climb
Summary
Rural Transit reported steady ridership through July 2025, delivery of two 16‑passenger lift‑equipped replacement buses and an expected 16% rise in vehicle insurance premiums; NDOT will begin titling replacement vehicles to operating agencies next year, staff said.
Chris Myers, who presented the quarterly update for Monroe County Rural Transit, told commissioners Sept. 4 that January–July trip data show 26,006 total trips across the four‑county system and 10,464 trips in Monroe County, figures that are “almost exactly what they were the same time last year.” The county’s urban parallel system recorded 3,570 trips in the Monroe County urban area for January–July, also near last year’s level.
Myers said the county recently received two 16‑passenger buses with wheelchair lifts that will replace older vehicles once outfitted for service. He flagged two operational changes: (1) North‑South INDOT guidance for FY2026 vehicle replacements will transfer vehicle titles to the operating agency and NDOT will hold a lien, removing the county from title holding; and (2) the county’s vehicle insurance renewal on Sept. 5 shows a roughly 16% increase in vehicle insurance costs, which will affect the operations budget.
Commissioner Thomas said the county had discussed a placeholder of $155,000 for transit funding in the 2026 budget work session and asked staff to update him if projected costs change. Myers said he would notify commissioners when final figures are available. Commissioners praised the urban and multi‑county services and acknowledged work required to secure matching or ARPA funds for 2026 vehicle purchases.
There were no votes tied directly to the update; staff requested that the board be kept informed as procurement and funding decisions proceed.
