The Twin Cities Area Transportation Authority should remain financially solvent and able to continue operations through the end of Fiscal Year 2027 now that the Federal Transit Administration has unfrozen its funding and released previously withheld payments.
That was the news Tuesday from Interim Director Tressa Greschak, addressing the TCATA Board of Trustees. She said ECHO payments going as far back as November have been received.
“So we got about $600,000 from FTA in one lump sum,” Greschak said. “This is part of where I was saying that April doesn’t look so hot. May’s going to look a lot better.”
All of this comes after TCATA, which runs Benton Harbor’s Dial A Ride bus service, had its funding frozen this year due to federal compliance issues. TCATA leaders have been working to resolve those matters, and Greschak said the service is back on track with more than $800,000 now in its bank accounts, although it is still facing some drawdown restrictions.
“This is basically going to cover us between now and programming our grant for the next fiscal year. But it’s good. It means we are — what’s the word — soluble. We have enough money to run.”
Greschak said this will enable Dial A Ride to continue operating at least long enough for everyone find out what happens next.
As we’ve reported, an effort is now underway to create a countywide transit service to replace TCATA once the Michigan Department of Transportation cuts off its funding, as threatened, later this year. The current plan is for TCATA and Berrien Bus to be absorbed into the new service.
Greschak also said Tuesday revenues have been trending upward with Via Transit now managing the agency.
