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CDTA outlines investments, route changes and funding questions at Warren County Board workshop
Summary
CDTA told the Warren County Board of Supervisors it has restored published service levels, invested roughly $1.1 million in technology and facilities, and will rebalance routes in late August by shifting resources to higher‑productivity corridors while offsetting service on low‑productivity routes.
CDTA representatives presented two years of operational work in Warren County on Monday, describing technology upgrades, fleet and facility repairs, and an upcoming round of route rebalancing aimed at improving on‑time performance and aligning service with ridership.
Chris Desney, CDTA chief operating officer, said the agency began by preserving existing routes when it took over operations and then moved away from informal "flag stops" to a fixed network with published timetables to improve predictability. "The bus schedule is our contract with the customer," Desney said, arguing that fixed stops and schedule accuracy are essential to reliability.
Patricia Cooper, CDTA chief financial officer, detailed how the system is paid for. She said state operating assistance accounted for about $1,100,000 in the fiscal year discussed and described federal formula grants (FTA sections 5307 and 5339) as major funding sources. Cooper said the agency also uses a local mortgage‑recording‑tax contribution and a modest Warren County match for state operating assistance.
Mike Williams, a CDTA manager, described the data work that supported recent changes. Phase 1 (implemented in May) adjusted running times in CDTA's scheduling systems and, the agency said, improved on‑time performance by roughly 10 percent. Phase 2 — scheduled for late August — will rebalance service by increasing frequency and span on routes with higher productivity (measured in riders per hour) while reducing service on routes with consistently low ridership so the overall amount of service is resource‑neutral.
CDTA staff said the agency has invested in on‑vehicle and garage technology — radios, data terminals, automatic passenger counters, fareboxes, cameras and a mobile fare and trip‑planning app — and has spent roughly $1.1 million to bring the local division onto CDTA's central systems. The agency also reported restoring service that had been cut and adding about 30,000 platform hours to match published schedules; the fiscal year boardings figure cited in the presentation was about 206,000.
Supervisors pressed CDTA on affordability and local cost. Supervisor Brady asked whether neighboring counties would contribute if services cross borders and questioned how Warren County's multi‑year contributions (noted in the presentation as a six‑figure local share) will translate into a sustainable long‑term arrangement. Cooper described the funding mix as federal and state formula grants plus local matches and said fares do not cover the full operating cost of rural and semi‑rural transit service.
On fares, a CDTA presenter said the base cash fare is $1.50 per ride, $1.30 through the agency's mobile app, seniors and veterans receive half‑price fares, and the presenter noted a pass structure that effectively reduces cost for frequent riders. CDTA also encouraged employers and institutions to use negotiated "universal access" agreements in which organizations buy passes for employees or students to increase ridership and underwrite service expansions.
Board members and staff discussed operational tradeoffs: trolleys are popular but can complicate maintenance and spare‑parts logistics if mixed with standard bus fleets; microtransit or "flex" (on‑demand van service within a defined zone) was presented as a lower‑cost way to serve low‑density areas; and the agency described targeted outreach to employers, colleges and tourism partners to grow ridership.
Supervisors also asked about representation on the CDTA board. CDTA said nominees from Warren County had been submitted but the legislative cycle delayed formal appointments; the county will be able to pursue an appointment in the next cycle.
On workforce issues, CDTA noted an average operator wage cited in the presentation of about $32.32 per hour and described retention measures (raises, signing bonuses, training programs and plans for a training center) to address recruitment shortfalls that followed the COVID era.
The workshop concluded with supervisors thanking CDTA for the briefing. CDTA said it will return with more detailed analytics on ridership by route and other data requested by the board as the agency implements the August service changes.
