Beaumont Municipal transit may be getting an upgrade, and the only thing residents might have to do is resume paying their fares.
The Beaumont City Council has a relatively transit-heavy agenda for Tuesday with proposals to reinstate bus fares after they were lifted during the COVID-19 pandemic and purchase eight compressed natural gas and another eight paratransit buses to replace part of the aging fleet.
The city began waiving fares for riders in April 2020 to allow for better social distancing between drivers and riders in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
“This, combined with on-site testing of drivers and staff, limitation and spacing of passengers, provision of (personal protective equipment) and contracting for regular deep cleaning has helped to limit the impact of COVID through the transit system,” according to a memo from Planning and Community Development Director Chris Boone. “As a result, the transit system never reduced service during the pandemic.”
However, the rates of new cases of COVID-19 have continued to decline, and vaccinations have been offered to all transit drivers and staff, he continued. As a result, city staff is asking the City Council to approve the reinstatement of fares beginning June 1 to collect revenue that helps to fund the system and limit riders from using the system “for reasons other than transportation.”
In a typical year, $435,000 in operating costs is funded through charging fares. The rest of the more than $5.3 million is funded by state and federal grants and the city’s general fund.
Masks will still be required when using city transit until an order requiring them from the Federal Transit Administration is lifted.
The City Council also will be asked to approve the purchase of 16 new buses.
The city would purchase eight paratransit buses to replace the majority of its 10-bus paratransit fleet, according to a memo from Beaumont Chief Financial Officer Todd Simoneaux.
The buses to be replaced have been in service since Jan. 2010.
The purchase would cost nearly $1 million, but nearly $900,000 would be covered by a federal grant for a $53,339 match by the city’s municipal transit fund.
The second purchase of eight buses carries a higher price tag.
The city is recommending the purchase of eight compressed natural gas buses, which would replace buses that were purchased in Feb. 2009.
If approved, more than $3.7 million of the purchase would come from federal grants, while the city would contribute nearly $400,000 from the municipal transit fund.
If approved, the city expects the paratransit buses would be delivered within six months, while the CNG buses would be delivered in about a year.
The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 801 Main St. The council meetings also are streamed live to the city’s website.
kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com
twitter.com/KaitlinBain
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