The City of Hattiesburg is requesting a $100,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation that would be used to purchase a new bus for Hub City Transit, the city’s public transportation system.
Hattiesburg City Council members recently approved the submittal of a grant application to MDOT’s Multimodal Transportation Improvement Program for the funds. The new bus would replace a 30-passenger medium-duty bus that is 14 years old with more than 370,000 miles, which is well past the recommended useful life of seven years and 200,000 miles.
“In the last four years, HCT has spent over $60,000 in repairs on the bus we are seeking to replace – averaging over $16,000 per year,” a project justification document states. “In replacing this bus, HCT will be able to further enhance the service provided to HCT passengers.
“A new bus will strengthen the current fleet of buses, reduce cost and downtime for repairs, and aid in enhancing the transit experience for HCT passengers – providing a ride that they can confidently feel is comfortable, safe, and reliable.”
Hub City Transit, which currently provides seven fixed routes as well as a paratransit service, offers 15 transfer stations and more than 200 bus stops. However, the system’s aging buses are becoming a problem, according to the latest Transportation Performance Management Report.
That report shows the following percentage of Hub City Transit’s buses are exceeding the useful life benchmark: 60 percent of the 29-55 passenger buses, 44 percent of the 17-25 passenger buses, and 53 percent of the 6-15 passenger vans.
“The performance target is 20 percent across all categories,” the project justification document states. “In order to make progress toward meeting this performance target, HCT needs to upgrade its fleet by incorporating newer vehicles and phasing out the older ones.
“Acquiring a bus in reliable condition will enhance the current service that HCT is able to provide.”
The document also lays out the importance of reliable buses in providing dependable service to the growing population of Hattiesburg, as well as students at the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University.
“At a time when individuals, local government, and businesses have suffered due to the economic downturn precipitated by COVID-19, Hub City Transit aims to reliably serve the public in the face of the decrease in local revenue,” it states. “Without funds to purchase new buses, the fleet will continue to age, issues requiring repairs will increasingly continue to emerge, and more funds will have to be diverted from other areas to pay for the costly upkeep of an aging fleet.”
If the grant application is successful, a new bus will be ordered, delivered and inspected. A final report/reimbursement request will then be submitted to MDOT.
