Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tehachapi council finds no unmet transit needs; action preserves $835,000 in state and local funding
Summary
Council adopted a resolution finding no unmet transit needs reasonable to meet, a required finding under the Transportation Development Act that preserves eligibility for roughly $835,000 in Local Transportation Fund and State Transit Assistance funds; ridership declined and farebox ratio remains far below the 10% benchmark.
The Tehachapi City Council voted 5-0 to adopt a resolution finding there are no unmet transit needs that are reasonable to meet within the city, a procedural determination required under the Transportation Development Act (TDA) to qualify for Local Transportation Fund (LTF) and State Transit Assistance (STA) funding.
Hamed, the city staff presenter, told the council that Tehachapi contracts with Current Transit for its dial-a-ride service and that ridership for the reported fiscal year decreased by 7.4% while operating costs rose 11.2%. He said the city's farebox ratio for the year was 0.54%, well below the 10% benchmark some state rules contemplate for fare revenue. To meet the farebox requirement this year, staff used $26,000 from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) to satisfy the ratio; doing so kept the city eligible to receive about $835,000 in LTF and STA funding during the fiscal year reported.
Hamed recommended the council adopt a resolution finding no unmet transit needs reasonable to meet; there were no public comments during the hearing. Council members asked questions about vehicle size, alternative service models such as fixed routes or ride-hailing partnerships, and access for passengers with disabilities. Staff and councilors observed that Current Transit offered fare-free promotion periods during parts of the year, which reduced farebox revenue and likely contributed to the decline in the farebox ratio.
The council recorded the roll-call vote as: Council member Chung, yes; Council member Davies, yes; Council member Smith, yes; Mayor Pro Tem Power, yes; Mayor Poltencourt, yes. The motion carried 5-0. The resolution number was not specified in the meeting record.
Council discussion noted operational constraints in a small city: dial-a-ride is resource-intensive, fixed routes can increase costs, and private ride-hailing providers may not meet regulatory or accessibility requirements for some riders. Staff said it will continue outreach, advertising and service design work to try to boost ridership.
