Spencer, Iowa — The Regional Transit Authority, or RIDES is one of a number of organizations that will be getting new equipment as a result of the DOT’s renegotiation of costs to come up with more than $6 million in extra funding statewide.
The process of buying new buses and vans for the state’s overall public transit systems has become harder and more costly recently. DOT Public Transit director, Kristin Haar, says supply chain issues and pandemic related manufacturing problems caused some bus prices to go up and some contracts to get canceled.
She says the average cost increase for a van or light-duty bus went up around 25 percent. They are helping 24 of Iowa’s transit systems buy 189 vehicles. Haar says it can take up to two years to get the new vans and buses delivered, which leads to more travel before one is replaced.
Haar says transit agencies aren’t the only ones waiting on vehicles.
Haar can’t say if the problems will continue.
Haar says ridership dropped dramatically during the pandemic and has come back — but is not back to pre-pandemic levels.
In addition to RIDES, other cities and organizations that will be getting new buses and vans include:
Ames, Burlington, Clinton, Coralville, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, East-Central Iowa Council of Governments, Fort Dodge, heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency, Midas Council of Governments, Muscatine, North IA Area Council of Governments, Region 12 Council of Governments, Region Six Planning Commission, River Bend Transit, Sioux City, Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission, Southern Iowa Trolley, SW Iowa Transit Agency, Ten-Fifteen Regional Transit System, and UI Campus, Waterloo.
