RTA’s management team is responsible to run the operation in a fiscally prudent manner.  This means providing the maximum level of service possible at reasonable fares within the limits of our available funds.  While we believe we should be adding service to address the community’s needs, we simply do not have the funding necessary to achieve this objective. 

In fact, declining revenues, especially from the state of Ohio and sales tax receipts from Montgomery County forced us to raise fares and reduce service levels last year.  Many cuts were made within the organization to ensure we operated as efficiently as possible before any service to our customers was reduced. These cuts included: merging our big bus and paratransit operations, eliminating more than $1 million in administrative and operating expenses, merging the former RideLine and paratransit call centers, eliminating 93 jobs, 30 of which were in management and administration, implementing wage freezes for the past two years, increasing the cost of benefit sharing by employees, and reducing contracted services like paratransit certification. 

According to the American Public Transportation Association, the average state contribution in support of public transit operations is 23%. Ohio slashed transit funding over the past decade such that only two tenths of one percent of our operating budget for this year is funded by the state. If Ohio were to simply achieve the national average of 23%, RTA could reinstate all service that has been eliminated since 2006.

RTA’s minimum desired level of service is best reflected in the routes and schedules that were in place during 2006. This level of service would require a budget of $67,697,676. Based on our projected income for 2010, RTA would need an additional $11 million to finance that additional service.

We continue to wage a comprehensive campaign with other transit agencies in Ohio and support groups to address the need to increase funding for public transportation.  We will continue to fight for additional funding at the state and federal levels.   In the interim, we must continue to operate our 2010 transit system in Dayton at 1996 funding levels.