Ad-Hoc Panel to Review How to Keep Funding for Westport's After-School Bus Shuttle

An announcement from the First Selectman’s Office:

First Selectman Jim Marpe has announced the creation of a temporary committee to review the impact of the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) recent ruling regarding Westport’s after- school program shuttle bus service provided by the Norwalk Transit District.

As previously reported, the FTA in August determined that the manner in which Westport’s transit program was structured is not compliant with regulations regarding federally supported transit programs, and must cease operations.

The First Selectman successfully appealed this ruling, and a short-term exemption was granted allowing the Westport Transit District to continue to provide after-school program shuttle services until Jan. 1, 2015.

Selectman Marpe had the following comment:

“We were very disappointed that after 30 years of operation, our program was defunded on short notice by the federal government, just before the start of school. However, we are appreciative that our appeal was listened to and that the parents and programs that use this service were not immediately left without the service that they were depending on for this fall.

“Now that we have a little time to plan, I have created a committee of Westporters with the requisite knowledge and understanding to review this situation and to advise me on how we best proceed after January 1. This group includes individuals knowledgeable with regard to transportation operations, federal regulations, financial funding, after school program needs and parental concerns.”

The “charge” of this committee will be to examine the situation and provide recommendations to the First Selectman. In particular the Committee will:

1. Review the facts which contribute to our routes being determined “non-compliant” and examine the feasibility of re-structuring them so as to be federally compliant if possible.
2. If it is determined that it is not operationally, financially or safely feasible to develop a compliant route system, then to examine what potential alternatives, either public or private, might exist.
3. Recommend appropriate priorities and actions based on the conclusion of steps 1 and 2.

The members of the Committee are:

• Dewey Loselle, Westport Director of Operations – Co-Chair
• Jennifer Johnson, Westport Transit Director – Co –Chair
• Jim Ross – Citizens Transit Committee
• Jen Tooker – Board of Finance
• Karen Klein – Board of Education
• Sandy Evangelista – BOE Transportation Coordinator
• Clarissa Moore – RTM (Long Range Planning Committee & former PTA president Greens Farms School)
• Rick Weber – RTM (Transit and Finance Committees)
• Amee Borys - Earthplace After-School Program Director
• Karin Beitel – Temple Israel After-School Program Director

The Committee will interact and work closely with the operational staffs of the Norwalk Transit District who are most familiar with the regulatory and operational requirements of the federal and state governments.

The Committee will convene shortly. It is expected that they will report back to the First Selectman with their findings and recommendations by mid-November.