Local public transportation experiences shortfall

By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

Margaret McCloughy of Whiteville says the Columbus County rural general public transportation program is a blessing.

She pays $2 per one-way trip to Columbus Regional Healthcare System hospital where she volunteers. She also calls on the vans to take her to shops in town, local grocery stores, and to doctor appointments in Whiteville for the same fee.

But she may soon have to cut her traveling back.

McCloughy was one of several riders who recently received a letter from the county transportation department explaining that funding for the general public program is running out.

The days of operation were scheduled to drop from five to three days per week in May and June for the transportation program that is 90 percent state funded. The shortfall only affects the rural general public program and not interagency, Smart Start, Social Services and Veteran transportation programs.

County Transportation Director Charles Patton told the Board of Commissioners last month that the increase in gas prices had created a shortfall.

McCloughy is a homeowner who pays taxes but qualifies to use the public transportation because it is open to everyone, regardless of whether or not they qualify for public assistance. She started using public transportation when her husband became ill and could no longer drive.

Patton told commissioners and stated in a press release that public usage had also increased by 40 percent making the state funded pool “disappear at an increased rate.”

“We may have enough except for the last month of the fiscal year, which will be June 2008,” Patton explained.

Some commissioners questioned if rates could be increased to cover the shortage but Patton explained fares only pay about 21 percent of the total cost.

The program provides low cost transportation for any citizen of Columbus County. The cost within the Whiteville/Brunswick area is $2 per one-way trip and $5 per one-way trip anywhere else in the county.

For now, McCloughy said she “will have to make arrangements somehow.”

“I do use it a lot because I don’t drive,” the widow said, pointing out that she grew up in Columbus County, graduated from Hallsboro High School but moved north with husband, raised a family and retired here in the 1981 with her husband. “We always came back here on vacation because my father had a farm. We liked the way of life here and that’s why we retired here,” McCloughy said.

Making arrangements may be slightly more difficult for some riders. A few people depend on the transportation to take them to work at businesses in town. There are students at Southeastern Community College who also depend on the transportation.
Patton emphasized that he didn’t want the shortfall to reflect negatively on the Board of Commissioners.

“Our county already gives a substantial amount to this program. Some counties give nothing but other counties, because of what it does for the people and the local economy, will not let the Rural General Program end, no matter what the cost,” Patton said, pointing out that the county budget was tight.

The Public Transportation Division (PTD) of NCDOT only gets about 3 percent of the total transportation budget and this has to cover Public Transportation, Aviation, Rails, and the Ferry Division, according to Patton.

“The Public Transportation Division definitely needs a larger slice of the pie. The baby boomers are quickly reaching the age where they need increased public transportation services.

“Many senior citizens can stay in their homes without assistance, if they have a public transportation system that can take them to the doctor or shopping.

“Our elected representatives in Raleigh need to make sure that this happens by increasing the Public Transportation Division’s share of the transportation pie. The need for public transportation for the elderly is expected to double over the next 10-15 years,” Patton stated.

“We will be able to make it until the last month of this fiscal year (June) but for the next fiscal year, if the present demand for transportation remains at this high level, then there is expected to be a $50,000 shortfall next year, which means that the RGP program will run out during the next fiscal year with three or four months left to go. This is more of a state legislative problem than a local problem. The counties simply cannot come up with the amount of increased dollars that are required,” he added.

“If the state legislature does not increase funding this year, the only alternative is, at some point, to restrict the program to three days a week but this will hurt the people who use this program everyday for work employment and community college transportation to SCC.

“About 80 percent of the RGP program is used by people either going to work/school or to medical appointments and the other 20 percent is used by the elderly to go to the doctor, pharmacy, grocery store, or general shopping,” Patton said.

Commissioner Bill Memory said restricting the program was taking away the one mode of transportation that people use and pay for. “When people say we need to put our people to work, get our people to jobs and make sure the elderly have a way to buy their groceries and go to doctor appointments, this is it,” Memory said. He opposes cutting the service back. “Its not fair,” he said.

Tonight the issue will once again come before the Board of Commissioners who will have to decide as a whole, once again, what’s not only fair but affordable.

Patton is expected to deliver an update to the board at their regular meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. and provide figures for what is needed for the remainder of the fiscal year, according to the May 5 agenda.

A tight budget led to a previous vote to cut days of operation back. Despite discussion about increasing fares, Patton explained previously that increasing the clients cost (only a small portion of overall operational costs) would only keep the operation at full swing for a short period of time and essentially abandon what the program is about – affordable, low cost transportation to the rural general public.