TRANSIT IS CRITICAL
The below information is to provide answers to questions regarding the 2024 Levy.
Why is Mountain Line requesting an excess levy? The first Transit Levy was passed in 2016 when the county cut transit funds and federal funds were also being cut. There was a dire financial need which could only be met with the support of the people of Monongalia County through the passage of the Transit Fund. No other funding sources have become available to support the transit system so we are seeking to continue the levy to continue and increase service levels as our community grows.
The Levy promise is to provide the service that was cut in 2016 due to the fourth quarter county funds being cut, increase evening and weekend service, provide service to new growth areas in our community and to purchase vehicles. We have stood by our promise and continue to add service to our community as it grows.
Mountain Line runs a tight, efficient system and we control our costs. We have the lowest cost per passenger ride in the state and one of the lowest in the US.
Mountain Line provides service for thousands of working residents, employers, seniors, families, students, and citizens with disabilities.
Please read through our FAQ below, if you find you still have questions join the discussion online at FaceBook.com/MountainLineTransitAuthority
FAQ
Information taken from the Mountain Line Transit Authority Website:
How will Mountain Line use the levy money?
Just as we promised in 2016. We use these funds to provide evening and weekend service as well as service to new growth areas. We also use these funds to purchase vehicles to keep service moving.
Here's the breakdown:
$456,500 funding to replace loss of county contribution
$500,000 per year for new vehicles
$1.2 million to maintain evening and weekend service and to provide service to newly developing areas
How much will the levy cost taxpayers?
For the owner of a home with an assessed value of $160,000, the levy would cost $35.20 a year – $2.93 a month. Keep in mind, the levy cost depends on the assessed value of your property, so the answer varies.
Want to calculate your rate?
Here are the presented rates for the Transit Levy, these rates are per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of property.
Class I 1.10 cents
Class II 2.20 cents
Class III 4.40 cents
Class IV 4.40 cents
Example for Class II:
Class II is all property owned used and occupied by the owner, exclusively for residential purposes. In this example the property assessed value is $160,000.
$160,000 X.00022 = $35.20/year or $2.93/month
To get your assessed property value or for help with calculating your taxes you can contact the Monongalia County Assessors Offic or visit them online at https://www.assessor.org/
Why can't you raise fares to pay for the service?
Raising the fare from $.75 up 33% to $1.00 would raise about $60,000 in funding. The cost to run the Blue Line for example is about $242,000 so a reasonable increase in fares isn't going to cover the costs needed to provide service.
When fares are increased it also has a negative effect on ridership. A study by the American Public Transit Association states that for every 10% increase in bus fares it results in a 4% decrease in ridership.
What will happen if the levy doesn’t pass? What will be cut?
Mountain Line will be forced to cut nearly 41,500 hours of service. The system will revert to pre 2016 levels, typically the routes will run Monday through Friday 8am - 5pm with limited weekend service. Service to the new growth areas will also be cut such as West Ridge, Mylan Park, Fort Pierpont, Wadestown, and Suncrest Town Center.
In addition, our vehicle replacements will need to be smaller, lighter duty vehicles that will at times be over capacity, leaving people standing at the curb.
Why do we need a levy? It seems like the buses are always empty…
Simply put – the buses aren’t always empty. Like any business, transit service has busier and slower times. If you go to a popular restaurant at 3 pm in the afternoon, it probably isn't full. But at 6 pm on a Friday night, you’ll need a reservation. We deal with the same issues - we frequently leave passengers standing at the curb because the bus is full. Some routes are standing room only on a regular basis. We aim to remain highly efficient by using different size buses on different routes, based on capacity.
Why can’t WVU pay more? Don’t their students ride for free?
Our partnership with WVU certainly makes up a large chunk of our ridership. The University funds the entire cost of three routes, the Blue and Gold, the Valley View, and the Campus PM late night buses. In addition to footing the bill for those routes, any other WVU rides (on any other route) are paid for by WVU at the exact same cost ($0.75 cents) as everyone else. WVU is already paying its fair share.
Is Mountain Line keeping its cost down to deal with decreased funding?
Mountain Line already runs one of the most efficient systems in the state. We have the best cost recovery, and the lowest cost per passenger trip in the entire state. During our first 19 years we managed to grow our number of passenger rides by 350% and our service hours by 40% – and all with little to no increase in local funding. Since the first transit levy passed in 2016 we've provided a 57% increase in service while maintaining the same levels of efficiency.
Why pay for public transit? Why not privatize the transit system?
Local residents use Mountain Line to make over 600,000 trips a year to jobs, stores, healthcare, appointments, and schools throughout Monongalia County. Major employers like WVU, healthcare providers, restaurants, retailers and many other businesses rely on us to transport workers and customers. National studies have shown that every $1 invested in transit returns $5 to our local economy.
As for privatization - public transit exists because private transit operators went out of business across the country in the late 60's and early 70's. Transit service is subsidized across the United States without exception through a combination of local, state, and federal funding.
How do I vote on the Mountain Line Levy? Where are you on the ballot?
Mountain Line will be the first excess levy on the ballot.
Click here to view sample ballots on the County Clerks Website. (Coming soon)
How is Mountain Line funded?
Mountain Line Transit is funded by Federal Grants and local subsidies such as the City of Morgantown, West Virginia University, West Run Apartments, Morgantown Community Resources, Operation Welcome Home riders of Mountain Line through fare collection and since 2016 the county property tax levy.
The Federal Grants require local match in funding in order to draw them. Typically operating grants are 50% federal funds and a 50% local match and capital (vehicles and infrastructure) are 80% federal and 20% local match. The local subsidies including the levy allow us to use a larger portion of the available federal funding