Transportation program fees to increase
WAYNESBURG – Beginning Nov. 1, the Greene County Transportation Services program will increase fares for some of its riders, specifically those consumers eligible for the state Senior Shared-Ride and Rural Transportation for Persons with Disabilities programs.
The fare increase will be the first in 17 years and is largely due to inflation and the rising cost of expenses involved. In 1997, when fares were last increased, fuel cost $1.10 per gallon and minimum wage was $5.15 an hour. Currently, fuel costs have risen to as high as $3.49 a gallon, and minimum wage – paid to many of the program’s van drivers – has increased to $7.25 an hour. Insurance costs have also risen over the years.
The county received approval for the fare increases from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which pays for up to 85 percent of the fares through different funding streams. Riders are responsible for the difference in the form of a co-payment.
The county commissioners are expected to adopt the new fare structure at their regular meeting today.
“Increasing fares is never easy, and we’ve held off for as long as we can,” said Karen Bennett, Human Services administrator. “Unfortunately, we’re facing the fact that times have changed, and we’re under a certain amount of pressure from our funding sources to cover those rising costs.”
In addition to the Senior Shared-Ride and Persons with Disabilities funding streams, Greene County Transportation also provides advance-reservation, shared-ride, door-to-door transportation services to residents of Greene County through the Medical Assistance Transportation program, as well as to members of the general public needing transportation. Out-of-county trips are only for medical appointments scheduled between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. MATP consumers will not be affected by any of the changes.
All passengers will receive letters this week regarding the changes. Co-payments will vary by funding stream and distance to the destination, so transportation office staff will work individually with consumers to determine the change in the co-payments they will need to make.
Registered individuals age 65 and older will still travel at no cost to them to senior centers and adult day cares due to continued sponsorship from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging. In addition, the agency will continue to sponsor a portion of the cost of medical trips for individuals age 65 and older.
Funding for the Greene County Transportation Services program is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare and PennDOT’s Shared-Ride Program.
Calls to schedule appointments must be made no later than noon on the day before a requested ride, and before noon on a Friday if the requested trip day is a Monday.
For more information or questions about program changes, call the transportation office at 724-627-6778, or toll-free at 1-877-360-7433.
In addition to deciding to adopt the new transportation fares, the commissioners proclaimed the month of October 2014 Chamber of Commerce Month. The proclamation recognizes the more than 200 local chambers across Pennsylvania that work to secure new opportunities for economic growth and job creation and a better quality of life in their communities.
Chambers play a critical role in supporting the needs of a vibrant business community and are essential to continued economic growth and advancement, according to the proclamation.
It was announced the chamber will host its 8th annual Greene County Business Expo from noon to 3 p.m. today at the Pennsylvania National Guard Readiness Center in Waynesburg.