The purpose of this grant will be to allow for payment of cost overruns related to low/no grant SC-2022-045

This federal Formula Grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (CFDA 20.507 - Federal Transit Formula Grants) provides $7,918,402 to the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (CMRTA) in South Carolina. The award will fund several projects to improve transit services and efficiency, including:

• Purchasing ADP hardware and software for paratransit eligibility certification, ticket vending, and video footage storage
• Upgrading fareboxes and transit fleet technology
• Purchasing and installing bus shelters, ticket vending equipment, and two replacement vehicles
• Replacing maintenance shop equipment and installing security cameras
• Conducting a route scheduling study
• Covering final expenses for CMRTA's first low/no emissions project

These investments are intended to improve transit access, ease of use, paratransit eligibility processes, and overall staff efficiency for CMRTA's Comet passenger services. The award was made in September 2024 with a final completion date of March 2029.

Activities

Several activities will be performed with this grant. ADP hardware and ADP software will be critical line items and will include licenses and implementation services for paratransit eligibility certification process ticket vending software and centralized storage of bus video footage. Other projects include new fareboxes and associated upgrades for transit fleet purchase and installation of bus shelters purchase of ticket vending technology purchase of two replacement vehicles for aging transit fleet replacement equipment for maintenance shop security cameras planning funds for a route scheduling study etc. This grant will also fund the final expenses related to cmrtas first low/no emissions project. As stated earlier the award and execution of this project occurred during the covid-19 pandemic which ended up greatly escalating all costs including vehicles equipment and construction.

Expected outcomes

Benefits include improve transit access and ease of use improved efficiency in paratransit eligibility determination and overall staff performance improved efficiency in transit equipment etc.

Intended beneficiaries

The comets passengers will be the direct recipients of the benefits of this grant. Staff will also enjoy improved equipment and efficiencies.