MTD Updates

This post covers updates on staffing, the half-fare taxicab access issue, an African-American history mural and bus donation, and other MTD coverage and news in recent months.

The MTD is still struggling with staffing shortages. From the Daily Illini a couple weeks ago:

The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District continues to face a shortage of bus operators, which has led to MTD implementing service reductions to some of its bus routes...

As a means of attracting new drivers, MTD drivers will only have to wait 90 days rather than a year for their health insurance to take effect, the premiums of which are paid in full by MTD itself. Training wages themselves have also been increased, in addition to hourly pay becoming more competitive. 

The shortage has also caused current drivers to pick up more overtime hours to make up for deficiencies. 

That full article here. More details on campus route changes here.

MTD's half-fare cab program was in the news for failing to comply with disability and accessibility needs. From the News-Gazette back in August:

A Federal Transit Administration final report on a review done once every three years stated that at the time of the review, there was only one local taxi company participating in the half-fare cab program and that its fleet didn’t include any accessible vehicles.

The MTD provides the half-fare cab service offering discounted cab rides within MTD service boundaries as a supplemental service to its DASH Pass. The MTD has DASH passes for both seniors and those with disabilities that make it difficult for them to get on and off a bus...

In all, the FTA focused on the MTD’s compliance with federal requirements in 23 areas, and found deficiencies in two of the 23.

The other deficiency had reportedly been corrected already. More information at the full article here. The latest update on the half-fare issue from the 8/31 MTD Board Meeting:

For the deficiency Demand-response service deficiency (ADA-GEN 5-1), by December 30, 2022, MTD must submit to the Regional Civil Rights Officer (RCRO) its procedures for monitoring the half-fare taxi program to ensure that equivalent service is provided to persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users, according to the criteria described in 49 CFR 37.77(c). In addition, MTD must submit at least three months of data to demonstrate the equivalency of the service.

That full report here (this issues is covered on pg 48 of the PDF file, pg 10 of the "Fiscal Year 2022 Triennial Review" document in the August agenda packet).

Smile Politely highlighted a bus mural dedicated to local African-American history on a bus donated by MTD to the Champaign Park District:

The newest addition to the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail is an MTD bus wrapped with a colorful and impactful mural created by artist Keenan Dailey. The bus was donated to the Champaign Park District by MTD, and it will be used for park district programming, and as a mobile part of the heritage trail.

The interior of the bus includes panels about Frederick Douglass, the history of Douglass Park, and other African American history in Champaign County. 

That full blurb with additional links here. News-Gazette had a bit of coverage here as well.

Recent MTD Board Coverage: 

There was coverage of the August MTD board meeting in the 9/9 "Meeting Minutes feature of the News-Gazette here. It included this quote:

Slowly but surely, MTD Managing Director Karl Gnadt told his board, “we are moving back to the pre-pandemic numbers.”

In July, ridership totaled 290,301 — up from the two years prior (260,815 in 2021, 226,004 in 2020) but well short of the 2019 figure (420,729), when the district was operating at full capacity vs. the current 80 percent, Gnadt noted.

The News-Gazette had coverage of the July MTD board meeting in their 8/5 "Meeting Minutes" feature here (subscription eEdition link). It covered a grant application for new busses, an intergovernmental agreement with Unit 4, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) related expenditures.

Last month's MTD board meeting coverage included updates on the increasing sophistication of ransomware attacks, including targeting of backups. More on that from the 7/22 "Meeting Minutes" article here. Purchasing a data backup system that can reduce that risk was proposed (agenda pg. 45) and approved (minutes pg. 3).

More recent MTD Board Meeting videos and documents available on the MTD website here.

Other MTD News:

• The Urbana school board renewed its contract with MTD at $180,239 (a $4,014 increase). From the News-Gazette's here. The article noted that Champaign schools renewed there contract in July at $556,110 (covering far more areas).
• MTD helped sponsor a Bike to Work day last month according to WCIA.