Wayne County's shared-ride vans will be housed in a new facility provided by PennDOT

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will be paying an estimated $11 million to design and build a transportation facility for Wayne County's fleet of 36 vans used to give shared rides to seniors and others in need. The county is providing the site, a portion of the "County Farm" in Berlin Township near the county Recycling Center and 911 Emergency Operations Center.

While noting several benefits this will bring the county, Commissioner Chairperson Brian Smith commented that the demand for county public transportation will likely increase in years ahead.

"I think the need for rides will continue to escalate when you look at what a car costs anymore, you look at what gasoline costs... and diesel is getting to, and when you start to factor in the costs of insurance on these vehicles, I think there will be more and more people trying to access rides to go places in Wayne County," Smith said at the commissioners' meeting, Nov. 30.

Carl Albright, director of Wayne County Transportation, said that they supplied 65,000 shared rides in 2019, and since the COVID pandemic began in 2020, the volume of rides requested by the public is quickly rebounding. To date in 2023 they have completed 51,251 passenger trips, and he anticipates reaching 56,000 by the end of December. Trip levels have grown every year since at least 2015, except for 2020.

Smith said that this project has been discussed for about 10 years.

Presently, the vehicles are housed in three separate rented facilities, where some must be parked outside. Their maintenance is contracted out, and administration for transportation services is at the Area Agency on Aging offices in Honesdale, apart from where the drivers must go to get their vehicles.

By having the vehicles inside one facility with administration on site, the commissioners foresee greater efficiency and cost savings. A mechanic will be hired to provide some light maintenance such as changing tires or oil.

John Levitsky of PennDOT said that Wayne County approached them a few years ago about a facility to consolidate the county's Shared Ride Program.

PennDOT can provide the funding through Act 89, signed into law in 2013 by Gov. Tom Corbett to pay for various transportation projects. Funding comes from tax on wholesale gasoline and diesel fuel, vehicle registration and driver licensing fees and traffic violation fees. The law raised these taxes and some fees but eliminated the state $0.12/gallon gas and diesel tax.

"Wayne County is able to provide property for this facility, and the state considered that an in-kind, local match, and basically the rest of the project itself will be funded by 100% state funds," Levitsky said. He said having the land available is highly significant, as it can take years to be able to locate and acquire property.

PennDOT also must obtain the necessary township and state permits.

Currently PennDOT has about 90% of the design completed. An indoor, heated garage for the vehicles, a small administrative facility, a manual bus wash facility and a dedicated maintenance and tire storage facility are planned.

The $11 million construction cost is approximate, Levitsky said. "When we first started looking at the project the costs were much lower, but since the pandemic costs have... skyrocketed. These types of projects may have cost us five or six million dollars three years ago," he said.

Albright added that PennDOT pays a lot of the county's vehicle operating costs.

"PennDOT really does, through these vehicles, put a tremendous amount of money already into Wayne County," Smith said, adding that PennDOT keeps spending more as costs keep escalating. By having the vehicles housed where they will be kept clean, they will last longer and receive better care, he added.

Levitsky said that the final design is expected to be submitted in January and pending everything is satisfactory and permits are in place, they may be able to go to bid in March or April of 2024.

"Just being able to get vehicles inside and keeping them clean, keeping the maintained well should make a big difference for the residents of Wayne County," Levitsky said. "I believe this is the only public transportation that Wayne County has, so this is vital to the residents of the county."

He said this is one of the first Shared Ride Program facility projects the state has undertaken.

Albright said they have about 10 office staff who will be relocated to the new facility.

Amanda Willow with the Human Services Fiscal Department said that the cost to rent the three facilities where the vehicles are kept now will be replaced by the operational costs of the new building. She said it would break even.

Although PennDOT is funding the facility, County Clerk Andrew Seder stated that the land will remain county property. Willow said she believes that transferring the building to the county will be part of the formal agreement.

Albright, referring to the public his department serves, said, "Those are people who depend on us. We also support the local economy. We take people to work, we take people to grocery stores, to local medical facilities.”

For more information about the Wayne County Transportation Program, call 570-253-4280 or visit: pa-waynecounty.civicplus.com/218/Transportation.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: PennDOT funding facility for 36 Wayne County vans