Policy board OKs $1.2 million in FTA 5307 funds for CityBus 2030+ strategic planning

The Tippecanoe County MPO Policy Board on Sept. 11 approved Resolution T25-12 to amend the 2025–26 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) to program FTA Section 5307 funds for CityBus’s multi-year strategic planning effort, called CityBus 2030+.

The board approved programming $1,200,000 in FTA Section 5307 funds with a 20 percent local match of $300,000. MPO staff said the award will be used for a 5–10 year strategic plan that examines service levels, the capital plan and operational efficiencies; staff said the funding can be spent across the federal five-year window for 5307 funds.

Brian Smith of CityBus told the board the agency has adopted a budget that includes a possible 25 percent service cut in May if additional partners are not found and that the agency prefers a mid-range planning exercise to set a sustainable service level rather than ongoing incremental reductions. He said the $1.2 million is not intended to be a single-year consultant fee; MPO staff and CityBus described the funds as likely to cover at least two related efforts and follow-on consultant work over a multi-year period. Ryan (CityBus/partner) explained that Section 5307 funds are FTA capital funds that can also be used to offset operating expenses and are commonly used to purchase buses or support operations.

Board members asked about consultant costs and procurement practices; CityBus said it completed independent cost estimates per FTA purchasing regulations and expects the work to be staged over several years. After discussion the board moved and voted by roll call to approve Resolution T25-12; the resolution passed.