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Pulaski Area Transit reports ridership gains, a totaled bus and upcoming DRPT grant deadline
Summary
Transit manager Monica Musick told the council ridership rose by 3,048 passengers year-over-year, described one vehicle as a total loss after a crash, noted recent motor repairs of $13,000 apiece and flagged a DRPT grant cycle opening Dec. 1 that will determine vehicle replacement requests for FY27.
Monica Musick, director of programs and transit manager for Pulaski Area Transit, updated the Pulaski Town Council on operations and vehicle availability on Oct. 21 and warned that federal and state grant rules will shape the agency’s ability to replace vehicles.
Musick said ridership increased by 3,048 trips between FY2024 and FY2025 and listed recent fleet issues: two vehicles required $13,000 motor replacements and one bus was declared a total loss after a crash. "Unfortunately, that vehicle was a total loss," she said. She added the transit program receives federal funding and typically must provide a local match (roughly 4% for vehicles); some grant formulas require returning a portion of insurance settlements to the vehicle owner agency.
Musick also outlined recent stop changes inside town and on the Dublin–Fairlawn route (added stops at Bradley Ridge, Randolph Park and Schouler Hill Apartments; removed a Christiansburg mall stop) and said staff are monitoring service impacts over the coming months.
Why it matters: Musick warned the council that vehicle replacement is constrained by grant cycles and manufacturer lead times — "it takes at least a year" from order to delivery — and that the next DRPT grant round opens Dec. 1 for FY27 funding requests. That timing will determine whether Pulaski can request replacement vehicles or must rely on limited spare-part grants.
What’s next: Musick said she will send council staff a memo ahead of the Nov. meeting outlining expected grant requests. Councilors offered to assist in reviewing insurance or procurement procedures related to the totaled vehicle and depreciation formulas.
