Transit fare increase proposed
WAYNESBURG – A fare increase is being considered for riders who use the Greene County Transportation Services program.
An average increase of 1.9 percent is being sought by the transit agency to pay for software upgrades designed to streamline shared-ride services and improve efficiencies within the scheduling system.
The new scheduling software, which will be implemented next month, would bring adjusted transit fares to all riders across the system and there would no longer be separate rates for medical and nonmedical riders, county officials announced Thursday.
The Greene County commissioners during their Tuesday voting meeting approved an application that will be sent to the state Department of Transportation laying out the fare increase and other changes. PennDOT must approve any changes because the state agency pays for as much as 85 percent of the transit service’s fares, leaving the remaining portion up to the riders who qualify.
The transportation authority also raised fares on some of its riders in November. The authority at the time cited rising fuel and operating costs in increasing for the first fare increase in 17 years.
Greene County Transportation Services provides rides to anyone who needs transportation within the county, although rates vary depending on a variety of factors. In addition to the Senior Shared-Ride and Persons with Disabilities funding streams, Greene County Transportation also provides advance-reservation, shared-ride and door-to-door transportation services to residents of Greene County through the Medical Assistance Transportation program.
County officials said changes to co-payments will vary depending on the program and destination distance, meaning the program’s office staff can work individually with riders to determine how the fare rates might change for them.
Riders who want more information about the program and potential changes can call the Transportation Services office in Franklin Township at 724-627-6778.