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Use of Columbia County Public Transit will be at no cost to people needing a ride for the next four years, CCPT General Manager David Ocampo recently announced.
DAYTON–Getting from Point A to Point B–if you're riding on Columbia County Public Transportation–will be free for the next four years. David Ocampo, General Manager of CCPT, announced the new benefit for the community last week.
The move, approved by the CCPT Board of Commissioners at its June 29 meeting, gives local residents the ability to ride fare free from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2027–the next four years. The organization has been fare free since June 1 as part of its summer fare-free program, and the end date now stretches to 2027.
"One thing COVID taught us," said Ocampo, "while we received funding from CARES, CRRSSA, and ARPA was to calculate the cost of collecting fares versus how much we were making."
Collection of fares requires an employee to close the day by counting and banking the fares, a process which has a labor cost, Ocampo said. Also, CCPT uses a merchant services service for taking payment by credit card, another complication with drawbacks for the agency.
On top of those factors, fares taken in total about $2,000 per month. "We did a cost analysis and with the money we could receive from grants, we're ahead by not charging fares," Ocampo said. For example, grant funding received per rider is reduced by the fares collected, he noted. Fare dollars collected reduce the grant amount and the fares are sent to Olympia.
"I believe in trickle-down economics," Ocampo said. "Fare dollars may not stay in transit. If we don't charge our passengers, that money stays local and perhaps goes to groceries at the Mercantile, or to pay one's utilities.
CCPT remains an "on demand" service, Ocampo said. Riders are encouraged to call and schedule their transportation 24 hours in advance for rides to Walla Walla and in-town service; however, same-day appointments are typically granted on an availability basis, he said.
Ocampo says the fare-free program is built into the CCPT's budget and he pledges complete transparency, inviting anyone to visit the 507 Cameron Street offices and shops, and take a look at the budget and any pertaining documentation.
Funding from a "consolidated grant" of state and federal funds amounts to $2.3 million for 2023 and 2024, and, because of inflation and other factors, $2.6 million in 2025 and 2026 (into 2027), Ocampo said.
