Wyoming Public Transit Receives Federal and State Funding

The Wyoming Legislature has appropriated much-needed funding to the Wyoming Public Transportation Association (WYTRANS) to restore some services they had scaled back after extremely high and unanticipated fuel prices led to budget shortfalls.

The Legislature appropriated an additional $1.5 million in its last session to be distributed among the more than 55 local transit and social service agencies that operate public buses and vans.

“The big thing is spreading the service to meet the greatest demands of the population,” said Sean Solan, WYTRANS president and Wind River Transportation Authority manager. “And when the money runs out, you have to stop and you have to cut back.”

In addition to the state money for the program, WYTRANS is set to receive money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that will pay for additional buses, vans and some infrastructure enhancements to the system.

Solan said the number of annual rides WYTRANS provides hovers around 2.5 million.

Seniors constitute a significant population of public transportation users, either because they cannot drive or choose not to. Solan said service cutbacks have left many older riders stranded, forcing some senior centers to resort to holding bake sales, rummage sales, and begging local governments to raise funds to keep vehicles running.

“[Seniors] keep expanding their desires to have more transit and more transit, but we don’t have the money to support it,” Solan said.

But Solan said it’s not just seniors who rely on public transportation. “It’s people with special needs, it’s Head Start kids,” Solan said. “It takes in the entire spectrum of age groups.”

Over the past few years, Wyoming has seen its population rise at rates greater than the national average, due, in part, to an expanding energy industry, according to WYTRANS.

Money from the Legislature, which will be spent in Fiscal Year 2010, most likely won’t expand route service or frequency, but restore cut services, Solan said. Localities are already putting together supplemental budgets to submit to the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

“I think we’ve made the legislators see that this is truly a significant impact to communities and neighborhoods and cities and towns,” Solan said.

It’s not just the frequency of service that needs attention, but the vehicles themselves. Solan said his aging fleet in Fremont County has been difficult to maintain. Fortunately, some relief may be on the way.

John Black, transit program director for WYDOT, said federal stimulus funds may provide about $9 million for new buses and equipment, which would include items like dispatch software and bus tires.

Black said Wyoming has been regularly replacing its fleet of smaller vehicles—like vans and SUVs—but needs to purchase more large buses, which carry a price tag as much as $500,000. Black said the department expects to purchase 16 larger-capacity buses for the Sweetwater, Southern Teton Area, Wind River and the TransPark (University of Wyoming) Transit Authority programs.

“We’re also buying some hybrid vans and SUVs for the senior centers to lower the fuel costs and to keep the [environment] cleaner,” Black said.

Among the transit projects that may see upgrades include the Eppson Center for Seniors in Laramie, Wyoming Senior Friendship Center in Goshen County, Cheyenne Transit Program, Campbell County Seniors, Sheridan Mini-Bus, Weston County Senior Services and Crook County Senior Services, according to WYDOT.

Other Resources

For a complete list of transit projects for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, visit the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Web site.