Provide operating other capital and capital assistance to PEX to provide fixed route and complementary paratransit public transit services throughout our service area

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded Lee Russell Council of Governments (LRCOG), operating as the Area Agency on Aging, $1,252,710 under the Federal Transit Formula Grants program (CFDA 20.507) on September 9, 2025, for the continued provision of fixed-route and complementary paratransit public transit services throughout the service area in Alabama. The funding supports both operating expenses and capital improvements, including personnel costs (drivers, schedulers, dispatchers, and administrative staff salaries and fringe benefits), fuel, preventive maintenance of transit vehicles, computer hardware and software systems, camera systems, and engineering design for parking facility infrastructure.

The grant enables LRCOG to maintain critical transportation services for the general public, with particular emphasis on serving older adults, persons with disabilities, and low-income individuals in the Auburn-Opelika metropolitan region. Beneficiaries include transit passengers who gain access to employment, essential services (medical appointments, pharmacies, dialysis treatments, senior centers, grocery stores), and community socialization opportunities, while secondary beneficiaries encompass local medical providers, human services organizations, businesses, and employers who benefit from the availability of public transit within their communities. The award, with an ultimate completion date of March 30, 2033, represents a formula-based allocation that supports the agency's ongoing operations and infrastructure maintenance in support of regional transportation equity.

Purpose

The purpose of this award is to provide operating other capital and capital assistance to PEX to provide fixed route and complementary paratransit public transit services throughout our service area.

Activities

Funds from this grant will be used to cover all eligible operating expenses including drivers schedulers dispatchers and other personnel salaries and fringe benefits fuel preventive maintenance etc. In order to provide public transit operations. Activities also include capital expenditures for overhaul of buses/vans computer hardware and software camera systems and engineering design of a parking facility.

Expected outcomes

This funding will permit PEX to continue to provide operations and capital items to serve passengers in our service area.

Intended beneficiaries

PEX and the passengers that rely on its service will benefit from continued transportation permitting individuals to get to their jobs people to get to essential services such as the doctor pharmacy kidney dialysis cancer treatments specialists senior centers grocery stores the bank appointments and for needed socialization opportunities in their communities. Our passengers are the general public of all ages including older adults and people with disabilities. Additional beneficiaries include the communities we serve -- the medical services human services businesses employers etc. Who all benefit from having public transit available.

Intended beneficiaries

PEX and the passengers that rely on its service will benefit from continued transportation permitting individuals to get to their jobs people to get to essential services such as the doctor pharmacy kidney dialysis cancer treatments specialists senior centers grocery stores the bank appointments and for needed socialization opportunities in their communities. Our passengers are the general public of all ages including older adults and people with disabilities. Additional beneficiaries include the communities we serve -- the medical services human services businesses employers etc. Who all benefit from having public transit available.