MORGANTOWN — The Mountain Line Transit Authority plans to implement an initiative that will provide a bus pass to any county resident who pays property taxes.
Mountain Line Executive Director Dave Bruffy informed the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board of the initiative during its regular monthly meeting, on Thursday.
“Anyone who pays property tax will be entitled to come sign up for a bus pass that will be assigned to them. It will be a photo ID. That bus pass will be renewed every year. There’s no charge for that if you’re a tax payer,” Bruffy said.
Asked what the pass would provide to the holder, he explained, “Unlimited access and unlimited rides on all transit buses, including transfers. It’s a year-long bus pass.”
The reasoning behind the plan is three-fold.
One, it will provide a direct benefit the taxpayers who are supporting public transit through an excess levy passed in 2016. That levy provides about $1.8 million annually to Mountain Line and will be up for renewal in November 2020.
Secondly, Bruffy said, bus rides are already heavily subsidized — riders pay 75 cents for a ride that costs Mountain Line between $4 and $4.50. Coupled with that is the fact that buses are already running with empty seats.
“The potential cost of the program to us is pretty low. Our fare is only 75 cents, which, on one hand, we’ve always tried to keep it affordable. On the other hand, our fare box collections are $160,000. So the maximum we’re going to lose in revenue would be $160,000,” Bruffy said. “To create another million rides each year, that’s a pretty good exchange.”
Additionally, increased ridership reflects positively on the transit system when it’s time to look at state and federal transportation dollars, he said.
While the numbers aren’t finalized, the working model would have anyone paying between $1-$1,000 in property taxes receiving a pass. Anything between $1,000-$2,000 would be a second pass, and so on.
Bruffy said landlords would be able to participate and provide passes to their commercial or residential tenants.
“We see this as a way to provide a direct benefit to the people who are paying the taxes that help support our now enhanced public transit system,” he said, later adding, “This isn’t quite free, it’s receiving something for the taxes that you pay. I don’t want anyone to think it’s a free bus pass program because the tax payers are paying for it.”
Mountain Line will hold public meetings on this topic at the following:
- Star City Town Hall — 3 p.m. on Oct. 24
- Westover City Hall — 5 p.m. on Oct. 29
- Granville Town Hall — 1 p.m. on Oct. 30
- Mountain Line Transit Board regular meeting — 12 p.m. on Nov. 13 at Mountain Line’s Westover headquarters.
