Transit director seeks SPLOST match money and a rebuilt Broad Street transfer facility to support electric buses and modernization

At the July 1 SPLOST 9 work session, the transit director asked the commission to include $21,457,180 for two projects: grant‑matching funds and a replacement of the Broad Street transfer facility.

Director Daugherty said grants are the primary capital funding source for transit and that many federal programs require a local match. He said the department has been awarded a $12 million competitive Federal Transit Administration grant but lacks $2,026,026 in local match to obligate that funding for six additional electric buses and in‑ground charging at the transfer facility. Daugherty told commissioners he had not yet submitted the award because the local match was not secured and that using SPLOST would avoid repeated reliance on the general fund.

The transit director also requested funding to replace the Broad Street transfer facility at 1546 Broad Street. He presented a conceptual two‑story, 41,000‑square‑foot replacement that would include waiting areas, staff space, LEED‑oriented design, multimodal amenities (bikeshare, pedestrian improvements), high‑speed internet, digital wayfinding and virtual fare payments. Daugherty said a new facility would have an estimated useful life of about 40 years and would improve the gateway appearance for people entering the city.

Commissioners asked why TIA funds were not available for the match; the director said TIA is used for operations and cannot be applied to capital match in this case. Commissioners and the mayor praised transit improvements and several members emphasized the importance of service to workforce and food‑access needs in West End and Harrisburg.

No funding decision was taken; the transit requests will be evaluated as part of the overall SPLOST 9 package and administrator recommendations.