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Residents of several communities are being asked to continue supporting the Steel Valley Regional Transit Authority when they cast their ballots in the Nov. 5 election.
The agency is looking for the renewal of a 1.5-mill levy with an increase of 0.5 mills for a period of 10 years, meaning the final rate to taxpayer will be 2 mills. That money will ensure the authority will be able to continue to provide transportation service to local residents.
It's important that voters say "yes" to the issue.
SVRTA provides about 176,000 rides to area residents each year, a number, management says, is continually increasing. It provides a vital transportation link for Steubenville, Wintersville, Mingo Junction and Rayland. That helps area residents reach jobs, schools, medical appointments, grocery stores, department stores, entertainment events and visits with family members and friends.
That service is essential for area residents who can't afford a vehicle of their own or are just looking to save money by using public transportation.
Its route system includes Robinson Township and the Findlay Industrial Park, opening up additional opportunities for work, shopping and entertainment. With a connection to one of the area's other transportation services, a rider can, for example, travel from Steubenville to Pittsburgh International Airport or downtown Pittsburgh.
If passed, the cost of the levy to area residents will be $61 per $100,000 of assessed value. The levy will generate about $751,000 a year. That's a significant increase in the $540,000 SVRTA receives from the current levy. That current total is about 15 percent of its $3.5 million annual operating budget and helps to provide local matching dollars to leverage state and federal grant money. Fares, SVRTA says, generate about $50,000 in revenue.
Officials with SVRTA have proven to be good stewards of the public's money -- they have never asked for a millage increase in the last 30 years.
Those additional dollars are important for the agency to expand its service even further, as well as continue to maintain and upgrade its fleet of 13 buses.
A new bus, management said, can cost $176,000 -- a significant increase over the $91,500 price per vehicle that was seen before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. That's one of the reasons the agency has not purchased a new vehicle since 2019.
Failure of the levy to pass would create issues for the agency. According to Tim Turner, the SVRTA transit manager, such a scenario would, inevitably, lead to service cuts.
That would be an unacceptable situation. Having access to reliable and convenient public transportation is essential if the area is to continue to grow. In fact, a study conducted by the Ohio Department of Transportation said there is a big social value return on public transit and transportation investment in the area serviced by the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association, which includes Jefferson County.
For every $1 invested in transportation in 2022, the study showed, between $5.43 and $9.13 in social value was created for stakeholders based on increased access to jobs, health care and independent living support.
SVRTA provides a vital service across the region. It's important that continues -- and why the levy renewal and increase should be approved.