Referred to: The Public Works, Capital Projects, and Transportation Committee (Chairwoman Petit and Legislators Fabiano, Litts, Nolan and Stewart), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Cahill, Fabiano, Ronk, and Walter)

Legislator Phil Erner offers the following:

WHEREAS, many Ulster County residents depend upon Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) services to travel to work, school, family, shopping and other appointments among other purposes; and

WHEREAS, costs of living continue to climb throughout Ulster County without a corresponding increase in incomes; and

WHEREAS, UCAT riders are disproportionately poorer / lower income; and

WHEREAS, mitigating and adapting to the global climate catastrophe requires a reduction in the total energy and materials consumed for transportation; and

WHEREAS, the collection and negotiation of fares can cause travel delays as well as tensions between UCAT riders and drivers; and

WHEREAS, an increase in mass-transit usage will correspond with a decrease in total motor vehicles on our roads, and an increase in the proportion of driving conducted by professionally trained drivers, which altogether correspond with a decreased risk of traffic violence; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County's Green New Deal calls for all county residents to have access to zero carbon transportation by 2040; and

WHEREAS, Kansas City, Missouri, and the State of Connecticut, both having larger populations than Ulster County, have either temporarily or permanently suspended transit fares; and

WHEREAS, the state and federal governments supply approximately 75% of the funds to fund Ulster County Area Transit; and

WHEREAS, the mean annual operating expense of UCAT between 2015 and 2020 was $6,390,699; and

WHEREAS, the total revenue generated by UCAT fares between 2015 and 2020 was $2,051,611; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that fares to ride all UCAT services, including paratransit, shall be hereby eliminated; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the fare boxes on fixed-route buses shall remain in place, with an optional contribution encouraged from wealthier riders,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                     NOES:    

Passed Committee: Public Works, Capital Projects, and Transportation on __________________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on __________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$122,500.00 – ANTICIPATED 2022 BUDGETED REVENUE