RTA ridership is increasing as funding is decreasing.
The Lima/Allen County RTA served almost 400,000 people in 2017. Director Shelia Haney told us that ridership is increasing, but at the same time, funding is going down. She says the RTA works to serve the entire community by running routes to all corners of the county, by providing services to the elderly and disabled, to schools, and to industrial parks to help people get to work. However, funding has decreased 30% in the past five years. To make ends meet, they have eliminated some routes and have cut back on maintenance. "We need sustainable, dedicated funding to ensure continued operation of the RTA," says Haney. As a result, the RTA is planning to put a .1% sales tax levy on the ballot in the spring.
