Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Transportation Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Yuba Sutter Transit director says local service financially stable despite regional 'fiscal cliff' concerns
Summary
Yuba Sutter Transit reported steady ridership growth and conservative budgeting: service hours remain about 20% below pre‑COVID levels, fares account for roughly 10–11% of revenue and the agency uses about half of available state Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds, the director told the Yuba City Council.
Yuba Sutter Transit’s executive director told the Yuba City Council the local transit agency is in strong financial condition, citing steady ridership gains and conservative budgeting even as regional systems confront fiscal pressures.
“Those problems are real. But, thankfully, I think here locally, we're in a — we're in a good strong position,” executive director Matt Mach said in a presentation to the council. He described the agency as a standalone joint powers authority that provides local fixed‑route service, commuter service to Sacramento and demand‑response service for those needing extra assistance.
Mach said the agency contracts operations to a private vendor and employs six people in the JPA; about 87% of operating expenses go to the contractor for labor and consumables. He highlighted the agency’s reliance on formula funding, including state Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds and federal formula grants. On the state side, Mach said Yuba Sutter Transit currently utilizes about half of available TDA funds for its services.
Mach also pointed to ridership recovery since the depths of the pandemic, saying the agency’s ridership was about 75% higher than at the low point and that the system provided roughly 75,500 vehicle service hours in the last fiscal year. He said the agency is operating about 20% less service than it did before COVID and has kept a conservative approach to new initiatives while focusing on core services.
On revenue mix, Mach said fares represent about 10–11% of revenue, federal formula funding provides roughly 30%, and the remainder is state TDA and small local grants and ad revenue.
Council members who serve on or work with the transit board praised Mach’s management. Council member Kirchner, chair of the transit board, told the director he “absolutely have exceeded my expectations.” Other council members noted Mach’s responsiveness and competency; the council took no formal action on the presentation.
Mach and council members described Yuba Sutter Transit as a relatively nimble organization compared with larger urban operators, saying that smaller size has allowed faster adjustments to service levels and budgets during the recovery period.
