REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY (RTA)

Being written

REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY (RTA). The RTA is a nonprofit organization that in 2011 managed a fleet of thirty-five light duty buses, accessible mini-vans, standard vans, and school buses and provided 150,000 annual passenger trips serving more than 2,500 individuals in Delaware, Dubuque and Jackson counties. Vehicles were equipped to accommodate children, senior and those with disabilities. Funded by tax dollars and rides fares, the service was available to the general public.

In 1983 Greyhound Lines officials, which operated Greyhound and Trailways buses, announced an expansion of its "Rural Connection," program to Iowa. Greyhound contacted the RTA of Dubuque, Jackson, and Delaware counties about beginning a connection between the smaller towns and the union bus station in Dubuque. Greyhound had ended much of its service to smaller communities because the service lost money. "Rural Connection" would incorporate RTA vehicles into routes coordinated to arrive at the bus station in Dubuque before departures. Greyhound would pay RTA between fifty cents and $6 per passenger depending how far the passenger graveled on the Greyhound bus. The program was being assisted by a $100,000 federal grant to two transportation organizations--Rural America and the National Association for Transportation Alternatives. Other Iowa communities that would serve as hubs included Des Moines, Davenport, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Ames and Carroll. (1)

Federal officials announced in August, 1988 more than $2 million in grants to rural transit programs across Iowa. Grants from the Urban Mass Transit Authority included $1.6 million for twenty-four systems providing rural transportation and $532,000 for purchasing vehicles and equipment for elderly and handicapped transportation systems. The Delaware, Dubuque and Jackson RTA received $16,797 and the ECIA grant amounted to $12,300. The RTA grant was planned for repairs of a bus in Maquoketa, training materials for drivers and the installation of padding on wheelchair lifts for the fleet's eleven buses. The ECIA grant was to finance planning and technical assistance for the RTA transit development program. (2)

A decline in ridership by 1999 led to plans to publicize the service. Among the ideas suggested was coordinating with local medical facilities to schedule regular appointments for elderly patients for several people at once. Another idea was to advertise at local factories so that people would realize they did not have to take time off to transport a parent to the doctor. (3)

The East Central Governmental Agency (ECIA) assumed the management of the Delaware, Dubuque and Jackson County RTA in 2005 at the request of Project Concern and RTA boards of directors.

In 2007 transportation between the Northeast Iowa Community College's downtown center and its Peosta campus was implemented. Funding was provided with a grant from the Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program, but the agency ran out of those funds at the end of 2008. The service cost an estimated $60,000 annually to operate, but generated only about $8,000 annually in fares. In July, 2009, Mark Munson, the RTA director, announced a potential yet unnamed source had come forward so that cutting the hourly service to three runs per day could be avoided. (4)

Effective July 1, 2010 the East Central Intergovernmental Association took over the management of KEYLINE and the ECIA's RTA services where possible. ECIA officials found many opportunities for Keyline and the RTA to work together. One of providing service to workers in the new industrial center off Chavenelle Road. ECIA planned to hire a Keyline director and an operations supervisor who would devote 70% of their hours to Keyline and 30% to RTA. (5)

Despite its tax generated resources, fundraising efforts included in 2011 the third annual Black Tie Bowling event at Cherry Lanes at the Diamond Jo Casino. (6) A shortage of state funding that year also led to the publication of a cookbook "Recipes From the Region--From Our Tables to Yours" featuring recipes from bus drivers, staff, city clerks and mayors from the RTA region. The Asbury Eagles Club hosted "Burger Night for RTA." The COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER DUBUQUE awarded RTA a total of $1,066 to distribute over 2,000 transportation resource guides to increase ridership.

Officials of the Federal Transit Administration announced in July, 2011 that the RTA had been awarded the Excellence in Public Transit Service Award. The award recognized the increased ridership by 9.83 percent and the reduction of costs per ride by 12.84 percent from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2010. (7)

The RTA was considered when the Dubuque city council proposed the construction of an intermodal facility in the Historic Millwork District. On October 13, 2011 city officials announced that Dubuque would receive an $8 million Federal Transit Administration grant for the construction of a facility to incorporate passenger rail, a transfer hub for The Jule, Burlington Trailways and Lamers bus lines, RTA, taxi service, and a hike/bike trail point and hotel shuttles. (8)

RTA officials in July 2018 announced more public transportation options from Dubuque to Peosta. Currently one bus route was provided daily leaving Dubuque at 8:30 a.m. and returning at 3:30 p.m. Beginning August 6th, a new pilot program would add five more bus routes throughout the day with an early morning route that would pick up at home riders unable to transport themselves to the transfer site. The need for the increase came from Dubuque residents attending school at the Northeast Iowa Community College or working at one of Peosta's manufacturing companies. The trip fare was $6.75 with the option of purchasing a monthly pass for $45. (9)

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Source:

1. Kirchen, Rich. "Greyhound Expanding 'Rural Connection,'" Telegraph Herald, July 17, 1988, p. 6

2. "Officials Announce Rural Transit Grants," Telegraph Herald, August 25, 1988, p. 7

3. Carlisle, Nathan. "Transit Agency Seeks to Make Itself Known," Telegraph Herald, June 5, 1999, p. 3

4. "Group Hits the Road With Cookbook Fundraiser," Telegraph Herald, June 8, 2011, p. 19

5. Piper, Andy. "City Turns to ECIA in Awarding Bus Pact," Telegraph Herald, May 4, 2010, p. 3

6. "Bowling Event to Benefit Regional Transit Authority," Telegraph Herald, February 21, 2011, p. 3

7. "Arera Transit Service Earns Award at Iowa Conference," Telegraph Herald, July 5, 2011, p. 3

8. "Intermodal Facility Grant Comes In: $8 Million," Telegraph Herald, October 13, 2011, p. 1

9. Kruse, John, "RTA to Offer More Routes from Dubuque to Peosta," Telegraph Herald, July 30, 2018, p. 3A