MOUNT VERNON — Knox County Commissioners were informed this week that Knox Area Transit (KAT) has been “encouraged” by the Ohio Department of Transportation to consider taking over GoBus routes administration and service between Columbus and Wooster, including service to Knox County.
County Administrator Jason Booth, speaking Thursday to commissioners, said ODOT’s encouragement included asking KAT Director Martin McAvoy to apply in 2020 for what is called a 5311-F Regional Transportation Grant, funded by the Federal Transportation Administration. Reached Friday, McAvoy said the grant — the amount of which is not yet determined — would be used by KAT to pay for mid-sized coaches and fund administrative costs. Those costs would relate to planning and maintaining GoBus Routes connecting Knox County stops in Mount Vernon and Gambier to Columbus and Wooster.
“If this happens there would be a huge assessment process moving forward. This concept is just in its infancy right now,” McAvoy said, adding that KAT-provided GoBus service between Columbus and Wooster is not envisioned to start until 2021.
The GoBus is a statewide bus transportation system developed in Athens, with all GoBus routes managed by the Hocking Athens Perry Community Action Program (HAPCAP) through the 5311-F grant from the FTA. McAvoy said he has been in communication with HAPCAP and ODOT about KAT assuming administration of the D route due to KAT’s closer proximity to the route than Athens.
McAvoy and Booth each said the current fulls-size GoBus serving stops in Mount Vernon and Gambier involves issues such as not enough ridership volume to support a full-size GoBus. Serving the route with smaller busses can provide more efficiency.
Should KAT take over the D Route through ODOT’s encouragement, which would involve a definite expansion of KAT services, there will be planning issues such as how many busses to purchase, and how many new KAT drivers would be needed for operations.
Booth said county commissioners will need to review McAvoy’s assessment before signing off on such a large project. An initial local match of regional transportation grant funds would not be required. Greyhound provides local matches for grants that would serve bus passengers located within a two-hour drive of Greyhound stations.
