TRPTA to dissolve regional bus service
Following an emergency meeting Monday, the Targhee Regional Public Transportation Authority (TRPTA) decided to dissolve the bus service due to financial insolvency.
According to the city, TRPTA fell short of meeting its payroll last week. Its shortfalls include about $100,000 in outstanding credit lines, PERSI retirement, and PTO (paid time off) payoffs.
Most of the service provided by TRPTA is offered on Idaho Falls fixed routes and other Medicaid related services around the region.
The TRPTA Board has asked the city to release a $35,000 quarterly payment to help meet final payrolls and other dissolution costs. TRPTA said that funding could be used to match additional support funds from the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA).
“To help us through transition period so we could go through an orderly shutdown,” said Michael O’Bleness, TRPTA board Chairman. “That is to make sure that we can take care of the riding public, and give the city some time to develop plans for what might come after TRPTA’s gone.”
Mayor Rebecca Casper pointed out that the city of Idaho Falls has no outstanding agreements with TRPTA and no financial commitments to it.
It is unclear how much longer TRPTA buses will operate. It is expected that direct routes will close within 30 days with Medicaid and other services sometime after that. The entire system will be closed, though, within 90 days.
According to the TRPTA board, any sale of its assets are already earmarked. 90% of any facility sales go back to the FTA. 85% of the proceeds from any vehicles sold, with a value of over $5,000, must also be returned to FTA.
The Idaho Falls City Council is considering the request but says it first wants to see TRPTA’s dissolution plan and an explanation of how the city’s money would be spent.
Mayor Rebecca Casper said the city is empathetic, but must consider how it spends taxpayer money. She said the council must also consider, separately, how it moves the issue of public transportation forward.
