Thursday, July 19, 2018

FAB funding not so 'fabulous' at this point in the budget cycle!

Did you know Franklin is served by a Regional Transportation Authority? The Franklin Area Bus (FAB) is operated by the Greater Attleboro-Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA).

"Among the budget items being negotiated on Beacon Hill are increases in funding for the state's Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs). 
The RTAs have not received an increase in state assistance or an inflation adjustment in more than three years, though they have seen increases in operating costs for negotiated wages, health care, fuel, and insurance. Governor Baker has proposed level funding at $80 million, the House version of the budget calls for $82 million, and the Senate's version calls for $88 million. 
Regional transit administrators and their supporters say that if they don't receive the proposed $88 million, there will be further service cuts for the more than 32 million riders who use the 15 RTAs throughout the Commonwealth. Most riders are low-income or elderly people who have few, if any, alternative transportation options."

Continue reading the article online
https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2018/07/16/regional-transit-authorities-anxiously-await-budget-deal

Updated 7/19/18 noon: email confirmation that $88M was in the budget document sent to the Governor per Rep Jeff Roy
"I have confirmed that the Regional Transit Authorities were funded at $88 million in the budget we passed yesterday. Here is the line item:

1595-6370 For an operating transfer to the regional transit authorities organized under chapter 161B of the General Laws, or any prior laws, under clause (2) of subsection (d) of section 2ZZZ of chapter 29 of the General Laws; provided, that each regional transit authority receiving assistance under this item shall deliver not later than October 1, 2018, a copy of its most recent audited financial statement to the chief financial officer of the Massachusetts department of transportation, the secretary of administration and finance, the treasurer of the commonwealth, the comptroller of the commonwealth, the house and senate committees on ways and means, and the joint committee on transportation ........................... $88,000,00


Franklin Area Bus
Franklin Area Bus
What is the FAB schedule?

The archive has several articles on GATRA/FAB going back to 2009

The GATRA home page can be found http://www.gatra.org/


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