By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
City officials will create a local Transportation Advisory Board to ensure continued state and federal funding for the Salisbury Transit System.
The board will have nine to 11 members and be “representative of the service area’s population,” according to a resolution passed Tuesday by Salisbury City Council.
The transit system’s service area includes Salisbury, Spencer and East Spencer.
The Federal Transit Administration and N.C. Public Transportation Division have requested formation of the local board so Salisbury could continue to receive state and federal support for bus service.
Doug Paris, assistant to the city manager, said creation of an advisory board has been a recommendation more than a requirement in the past.
The board’s relationship to the Salisbury Transit System will be similar to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board’s role with the Parks and Recreation Department.
The city will draw up an ordinance spelling out particulars for the board and its creation. Council will then appoint members and a first meeting will be scheduled.
In other transportation matters Tuesday, council approved the Transit Division’s application for a fiscal year 2010 Community Transportation Program Grant.
The city’s bus service has administrative, operating and capital expenses, with local, state and federal funds paying percentages of each.
Federal funds pay 80 percent of the administrative costs, 20 percent of operating costs and 80 percent of the capital outlay.
State funds pay for 5 percent of the administrative costs and 10 percent of the capital expenses.
Salisbury funds 80 percent of the transit system’s operating costs, 10 percent of the capital expenses and 15 percent of the administrative costs.
The Salisbury Transit System has a proposed total budget for the next fiscal year of $1,145,058.
Salisbury’s share of that total would be $691,133, based on the percentage formulas. The city will be able to reduce its share of the cost by $90,000 from projected fares and by $208,000 through a state maintenance assistance program.
That would bring the local commitment to $393,133.
Also transportation related, council heard about plans for the startup April 6 of the low-cost Rowan Express, a new transportation system that will link Salisbury, China Grove, Landis and Kannapolis.
Phil Conrad, director of the Cabarrus-Rowan Metropolitan Planning Organization, said Rowan Express will represent the first public transit system for southern Rowan County.
The service will run Monday-Friday. Morning departure times for a Rowan Transit System van in Salisbury going south and a RTS van in Kannapolis going north will be 6:17, 7:17, 8:17 and 9:17 with arrival times on the other ends at 7, 8, 9 and 10 a.m.
The vans will pass each other at the mid point in their trips.
Each van will make two roundtrips in the morning and two in the afternoon.
A one-way fare is $1. Children under 5 ride for free.
The afternoon departure times are 2:17, 3:17, 4:17 and 5:17 p.m.
Stops during the 43-minute trip between Salisbury and Kannapolis include the Depot Street transfer location in Salisbury, the China Grove Police Department, the Food Lion on South Main Street in China Grove, the Landis Town Hall and the Kannapolis Train Station.
Riders in Salisbury could connect to city buses going elsewhere. Riders going to Kannapolis could make further connections and travel as far south as Concord Mills.
The service has an annual operating budget of $150,000, with each of the municipalities contributing $7,500 and Rowan County paying the rest. The county will receive an 80 percent reimbursement from Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program funding because of the county’s designation as a non-attainment area for ozone.
It is a three-year CMAQ demonstration grant.
“I’m sorry it came about because our air quality is bad,” Salisbury Mayor Susan Kluttz said, but she described the service “as timely for so many reasons,” including the economy and for environmental reasons.
Conrad said it is hoped the service eventually will have about 100 riders a day.