OHIO LOVES TRANSIT WEEK 2023
Transit is Essential | We Move People
Every segment of Ohio – businesses, communities, individuals and families – benefit from public transportation, an essential service that enhances economic development, ensures sustainable lifestyles and a higher quality of life.
Greene CATS Public Transit provided over 71,000 essential rides last year, helping Greene County residents access medical facilities, human service agencies, workplaces including personnel employed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, educational institutions, and retail shopping centers.
GREENE CATS also provides transportation by contract to Medicaid eligible individuals for medical appointments, for those who are developmentally and/or intellectually disabled so they can work in their communities, individuals attending mental health and substance abuse recovery programs, and Greene County veterans who require accessible vehicles to the Dayton VA Medical Center and Wright Patterson Air Force Base.
In coordination with local senior transportation providers and Greene County Council on Aging, Greene CATS works daily to meet the mobility needs of Ohio’s growing senior population in Greene County. In 2022, Greene CATS provided 1,429 free rides to residents for COVID vaccination appointments and their non-emergency medical appointments thanks to grant funding made available by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).
“Our agency works to ensure all citizens have access to the transportation services they need to remain an active part of the community, paying special attention to those who are transportation disadvantaged. I would like to thank our dedicated staff, especially our drivers, who have made it possible to fulfill that mission. We also
appreciate the elected officials and other stakeholders who have continued to provide funding and support to our agency throughout the pandemic”, states Ken Collier, Executive Director.
Transit helps to drive our economy, with statistics showing that every $1 invested in public transit generates $4 in economic return. Locally, Greene CATS invests $2.7 million into Greene County’s economy by contracting out their operations and maintenance to First Transit who employs 43 full time equivalent employees. These are just a few of the reasons why Ohio’s lawmakers are committed to continuing their support of public transit.
Ohio loves transit and Ohio needs transit… now, more than ever.
From February 6 through the 10, Greene CATS Public Transit will celebrate the support of our elected officials and stakeholders as well as our communities and riders during the sixth annual Ohio Loves Transit Week. Ohio Loves Transit aims to highlight how Ohio’s public transportation systems are striving to meet the daily mobility needs of the growing senior population and people with disabilities, along with keeping up with the capital need to move workers, students, and those without access to their own vehicles. Public transportation in Ohio comes in many shapes and forms, from rail to streetcars, to buses, vans, and bikes. Ohio’s transit provides more than 52 million trips each year.
During the week, we will also ask riders to share why they support public transit and why our state and federal leaders should too.
Ohio Loves Transit Week is hosted by our partner, the Ohio Public Transit Association (OPTA). To learn more about Ohio Loves Transit, visit www.OhioNeedsTransit.org
OPTA is the primary advocate for public transportation in Ohio. Now over 500 members strong from 67 transit agencies across the state, the association provides leadership, resources, training, support, technical assistance, media outreach, public engagement, and governmental relations services to public and private transit agencies.
Contact:
Greene CATS Public Transit
Ken Collier
(937) 708-8322
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
