Island Transit board uncertain about iffy state funds

Published 2:33 pm Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Uncertainties about a $2.3-million state grant has led to uncertainties about the future of the only bus route off Whidbey Island.

Whether or not it will end — only to restart again — depends on when Island Transit officials can get their hands on $2.3 million in state funds designated for the route.

As it stands now, the two 411 routes that connect Whidbey and Camano islands with Skagit County will end Aug. 3 because state funds are running out. But the board could decide to keep the route going — to effectively cancel the route cancellation — if staff members can get the answers by the regular meeting of July 24.

The routes are vital to many Island County residents who use them to get to work, medical appointments and government services in Skagit County and beyond.

ISLAND TRANSIT’S Board of Directors held a workshop Monday to discuss several ongoing issues, including the fate of the routes, collectively known as the tri-county connectors.

State Sen. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, and Rep. Dave Hayes, R-Camano Island, recently came to the rescue with $2.3 million to restore the route as part of a transportation project bill. Both the Senate and House passed the bill with the funding intact.

The governor is set to sign it on Wednesday.

Members of the Island Transit board were split on whether or not to move forward with the route cancellations.

ISLAND COUNTY Commissioner Rick Hannold and Langley Councilman Jim Sundberg, both members of the transit board, argued that they should make a commitment to keep the route going

“The public needs to know if this route is going to continue,” Sundberg said, adding that Bailey and Hayes “went out on a limb” to support the funding and that they would be disappointed by inaction.

The three other board members, however, argued that there were too many unanswered questions about the funding to take action.

Island County Commissioner Jill Johnson said it’s unclear whether there are “strings attached” to the funding, particularly after Hannold indicated that he thought it required matching funds.

BAILEY TOLD the Whidbey News-Times last week that the money doesn’t come with any strings beyond the requirements that it be used for the tri-county connector.

Both Johnson and Oak Harbor Councilman Rick Almberg, current chairman of the transit board, said they don’t know when the agency will get the money if the governor signs the bill.

“I would feel a lot better making a decision based on facts and not speculation,” he said.

Johnson said moving forward with the route without confirmation is a lot of risk for an agency “which is not on the most stable footing,” though Sundberg asserted that the agency’s finances were “out of the danger zone.”

COUPEVILLE Councilwoman Jackie Henderson, director of Island County Human Services, agreed. Henderson said she deals with grants all the time and they often come with surprises. She said she would feel nervous going forward with the route without knowing the details of the grant.

The board members also discussed larger issues about how regional public transportation is planned and funded. Almberg and Johnson questioned the wisdom of “overlapping service” in which Island Transit travels into other counties to connect to other transit systems.

A POINT of contention is the fact that Skagit Transit doesn’t have a route that travels to Deception Pass. Almberg said transit agencies have a responsibility to bring riders to their borders. Johnson said it’s “mind boggling” that Skagit Transit doesn’t provide service along a portion of the state highway.

She also pointed out that Island Transit is the smallest and poorest of transit agencies in the area and has the highest per-rider costs. She said she was thankful for the grant but questioned whether it might make more sense for Skagit Transit to get the money.

In the end, the board passed a motion directing staff to obtain details of the funding and send it out electronically to board members. They will discuss the issue again at the July 24 meeting.