RIDES awarded $1.6 million in federal stimulus funds

RIDES fared well in the recent doling out of federal stimulus dollars.

The Spencer-based Regional Transit Authority was awarded $1.669 million in stimulus funds. Of this amount, $1.519 million is earmarked for the purchase of 23 new vehicles, ranging from minivans to light duty buses. The remaining $150,000 in stimulus dollars will be allocated to the construction of a new paved parking lot, complete with electricity and lights, on the east side of the RIDES building, which is located at 522 10th Ave. E.

"We did pretty good for regional transportation. I think we were second only to Des Moines in the state," Hugh Lively, the RIDES director, said of the stimulus dollars received. "With the stimulus dollars, just about every transit agency in the country is purchasing vehicles. ... But we did well in the stimulus (allocations). I'm really proud of that. This is probably one of our highlights of the past fiscal year."

Construction on the new parking lot is anticipated to start next month, with its completion scheduled in October. Lively said a bid opening is set for Aug. 10, with a construction award and signed contractor expected to occur within the next seven to 10 days.

With regard to the new vehicles set to occupy the RIDES fleet, Lively is excited by the fact that their acquisition will be wholly funded via the federal stimulus funds, which compares to a 17 percent local share needing to be raised for past vehicle purchases.

These new vehicles will replace the current fleet at RIDES. Lively expects to receive the minivans by October and the new light duty buses within the next 12 - 20 months.

"With all the automobile industry coming to a halt this past summer, we've had to wait for them to get back into the plants, retool and start making the chassis for our vehicles. But with our light duty buses, I expect them to be here in the spring," he said. "The buses that we receive are going to be replacing some of our current fleet. Our current fleet, when we pull the vehicles out of service, we will be taking sealed bids from anybody that is interested in purchasing these types of vehicles. I would imagine two to three different sessions of our sealed bids probably beginning next year -- early in the spring, in the summer and in the fall -- as we take our vehicles out of service."

Countywide transportation provided, additional transportation opportunities being pursued

In an effort to meet the increasing needs of local residents, RIDES and Northwest Aging Association have partnered since spring to also provide out-of-town transportation for senior citizens who request it. For those who meet criteria to participate in the Clay County transportation program, all that is required is a telephone call requesting such a ride from Northwest Aging the day before a proposed trip. Participants will then be picked up and delivered anywhere they'd like in Clay County. This opportunity is currently being offered Monday through Friday.

"It's still not being utilized to the numbers that I would like to see. Since the beginning, which would have been in April 2009, we've had 31 (participants). I would really like to see those numbers increase dramatically," Lively said of the Clay County transportation program currently being offered.

Clay County residents who don't fall in the senior citizen category may also take advantage of this transportation availability, Lively said.

"It's not just for senior citizens. We can pick up children and take them to the pool or that kind of thing to help relieve some stress on moms. We can do all kinds of things through this program. It's not just for jobs and it's not just for senior citizens going to the doctor," he said.

A one-way Clay County trip fee of $5 is charged for this service, Lively added. Money collected is used to offset some of the operating costs at RIDES, namely fuel and manpower costs.

"What we are finding, at least here in the rural part of Iowa, is that it's really got to be painful at the pump before people will want to make that change to get on the bus. But, Cynthia (Beauman of Northwest Aging Association) came to me and said, 'We're getting quite a bit of requests for out-of-town transportation.' RSVP was also saying that they were getting a lot of requests. So, we're trying to get that need out there," Lively said. "I mean, it's there. We're just trying to make people aware and doing whatever we need to get people on the bus."

The RIDES director, meanwhile, is in the process of writing a $50,000 - $75,000 grant application to the Iowa Department of Transportation's Office of Public Transit to help subsidize and extend this transportation program through June 2010. Lively said he'll also start crafting another $75,000 grant application to the DOT soon for funds through the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program. The aim of this grant application would be opening up transportation between Clay and Dickinson counties.

"We do get a lot of requests for that. Even though this is a grant for trying to get people back and forth to work, it's not just for that," he said.

If awarded funding through this program next spring, Lively forecast that RIDES trips would be available between the two counties early in the day, at midday and at the end of the work day.