Licking County Transit eyes takeover by COTA while it eliminates board
NEWARK – Licking County Transit is in a state of transition, with a new general manager hired, its board to be eliminated and the possibility Central Ohio Transit Authority could run the operation in a year.
The demand response public transportation system for Licking County residents is owned, operated and governed by the citizens of Licking County through the Licking County Transit Board, which will be disbanded in September. The Licking County Commissioners will oversee operations when the board disbands.
Matthew Allison, previously chief of transit operations for COTA, has been hired as interim general manager of Licking County Transit for one year, with COTA paying his salary. Cathy Sheets, who has been the transit general manager, is out on extended medical leave.
Licking County Transit services are funded, in part, by the Federal Transit Administration, the Ohio Department of Transportation, county commissioners and users. Additional funding is provided by contracts with agencies to provide transportation services for their clients.
"We're really happy to have COTA helping us," Licking County Commissioner Rick Black said. "They're truly the experts in the field. We are contemplating working with COTA on a longterm relationship. They bring a lot of expertise to the table.
“It's hard to tell what will happen in a year. That's one thing that's under consideration. We may have them just operate it. It could be Licking County Transit, operated by COTA. We are in an exploratory mode.”
COTA is a public transit agency serving the Columbus metropolitan area, headquartered in Columbus. It operates fixed-route buses, bus rapid transit, micro-transit, and paratransit services. It may expand into adjacent counties, as governments look at responding to transportation needs when Intel Corporation begins manufacturing in western Licking County.
“That's something (Ohio Department of Transportation) has been pushing for a long time," Black said. "Regionalism, to improve efficiency.”
Allison, who has worked for COTA 33 years, takes over an operation which has steadily lost drivers and been criticized periodically by its customers for service problems, including buses arriving late, phones unanswered and a requirement to schedule rides two or three weeks in advance.
Sam Sites, fiscal officer for Licking County Transit, said the bus service has 24 drivers, down from 39 three years ago. The drivers start at $15 an hour.
Allison said there needs to be a review of the entire operation to determine how to improve service.
"We just have to look at transit comprehensively, from all aspects," Allison said. "No. 1, we'll go back to ensuring we have staffing that we need to provide enhancements to service. That's No. 1. We start there. Also, implementing technology that makes it more user friendly. Looking our schedules, our routes, all aspects. And, working with our partners."
The growth Licking County expects with Intel's arrival has caused plenty of anguish for residents concerned about their property and the ensuing road congestion.
For transit, however, growth could be a positive factor.
“Ridership is what we're about," Allison said. "Certainly, I think, growth will increase our ridership. Growth is a good thing for our region and we have to be prepared to make changes."
Two years ago, Licking County Transit unveiled a comprehensive plan for improving transit services but funding and finding drivers were two big obstacles to implementation, along with COVID.
The recommendations, within five years, included adding deviated and fixed routes to the current system, which provides only demand response service to residents who request a ride with a phone call. A deviated route veers from the established route by up to 0.75 of a mile. kmallett@newarkadvocate.com 740-328-8545
Twitter: @kmallett1958