Council dockets Lextran’s $39.3M operating budget and $9.3M capital plan, greenlights microtransit pilot

Fred Combs, general manager of Lextran, told the Lexington Fayette Urban County Council on May 12 that the transit agency is presenting “a balanced operating budget of $39,300,000 and capital plan of $9,300,000 for fiscal year 2027.” Combs said the budget is designed to maintain existing fixed-route service while funding targeted pilots and vehicle replacements.

Combs said Lextran has seen ridership of about 2.7 million year to date and an on-time performance rate near 86 percent. The capital plan includes funding for seven compressed natural gas buses and additional cutaways to support paratransit services. He said the authority completed significant fueling-station upgrades that support the move to CNG vehicles and that capital dollars are largely federally funded for maintenance and fleet replacement.

The presentation also outlined two pilot initiatives. Lexride, launched in April, has drawn “a few hundred people a week” and strong community interest, Combs said. The agency is also negotiating a roughly $738,000, 12-month microtransit pilot contract with a selected contractor; Combs said the city partnership will fund much of the pilot and that the contract figure does not include some operating costs such as fuel and advertising.

On marketing and outreach, Combs said Lextran has finalized an agency-wide advertising contract and will combine that work with the contractor’s marketing capacity; he said door-to-door outreach is part of the initial advertising plan. Combs described operational targets (including raising paratransit vehicle capacity and sustaining an 80% on-time benchmark) and said staffing and fuel costs are active budget pressures.

Following the presentation, Council member Ellinger moved to place a resolution approving Lextran’s FY2027 budget on the docket pursuant to KRS 96A.036 and to authorize county finance to disburse ad valorem tax receipts to Lextran. The motion was seconded and passed by voice vote with no opposition recorded in the transcript.

Votes at a glance: Ellinger moved to docket the Lextran FY2027 budget; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote (no recorded opposition).