The Texas Transportation Commission recently approved more than $154 million in combined state and federal funding to help provide access to safe, reliable transit options statewide to connect people in rural and urban communities to jobs, schools, medical care, groceries, and other essential services.
[Above photo by TxDOT]
The Texas Department of Transportation will oversee the disbursement of that funding to 77 public transit and non-profit agencies; funds that will specifically help them expand services for seniors and people with disabilities, improve mobility options, deliver modern infrastructure, and enhance existing transit services.
Some examples of that transit funding usage include:
- Rolling Plains Management Corporation: Purchase accessible vehicles with advanced safety features, including on-board cameras.
- Meals on Wheels in Montgomery County: Provide services beyond meal delivery, offering robust countywide curb-to-curb transportation that expands mobility options for seniors and people with disabilities in the local community.
- Senior Center Resources and Public Transit, Inc.: Implement an artificial intelligence voice self-service agent to provide 24/7 automated support for rural transit riders.
- City of Lubbock: Advance engineering, design and environmental analysis for an administrative and maintenance facility, a downtown transfer facility and community mobility hubs.
- All Aboard America: Provide intercity bus service along two corridors in west Texas to link that region to the broader national intercity bus network.
“Public transit is an essential part of connecting many Texans to the people, places and opportunities that matter most,” noted Alvin New, acting chair of the Texas Transportation Commission, in a statement. “Whether it’s a ride to work, school, a medical appointment or the grocery store, these services help provide safe, reliable options that give more Texans the freedom to get where they need to go.”
Across the country, state departments of transportation provide support to transit services in a variety of ways.
For example, the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Integrated Mobility Division (IMD) recently issued funding for 16 new Coordinated Public Transportation or “ConCPT” projects that aim to expand public transportation options for communities statewide.
The NCDOT said its ConCPT program encourages collaboration among two or more transit agencies – as well as local governments, and regional organizations – to maximize available resources while improving the quality and reach of public transportation services throughout the state.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently began updating its Oklahoma Mobility Plan; an effort to strengthen public transit services statewide to ensure residents have access to safe, reliable, and coordinated transportation options.
Oklahoma DOT noted that the updates to the plan aim to take a fresh look at the state’s existing transit system and work with communities to identify gaps in transportation and funding needs and develop recommendations, such as increased service frequency or greater reliability, to improve transit in urban, rural and tribal communities.
And in June, the Illinois Department of Transportation celebrated the start of transit service in Henderson County provided by Warren County Public Transportation – a move that officially makes transit service available in all of the state’s 102 counties.
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