LEBANON — Public transit providers including Advance Transit and Sullivan County Transportation are urging New Hampshire to increase its public transportation funding, which is among the lowest state-level contribution in the nation.

The Lebanon City Council voted unanimously at a meeting last week to support a statewide coalition advocating for “reasonable state funding levels” of public transportation, including in the state budget for fiscal years 2024-2025, which lawmakers will finalize this spring.

New Hampshire — where public transit is provided by a network of regional and community agencies such as Advance Transit — ranks by far the lowest among New England states in terms of funding, according to data provided by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

“It’s really quite stark how stingy New Hampshire has been in supporting public transportation funding,” noted Lebanon Assistant Mayor Clifton Below.

New Hampshire’s contribution includes over $600,000 for capital expenses, such as buses, and $200,000 for operation costs. This money is distributed based on an agency’s size and service volume.

Advance Transit, which serves both Vermont and New Hampshire municipalities in the Upper Valley, as well as shuttle operations for Dartmouth Health and Dartmouth College, receives $35,000 in operation funds from New Hampshire.

“This (amount) pays for about a day and a half of service,” Advance Transit Executive Director Adams Carroll told the Council. “It ends up being a situation where the burden is pushed down to the local level, even though transportation is a regional issue.”

Notably the City of Lebanon contributed $267,000 in its current budget to support Advance Transit, more than what New Hampshire spends on operations statewide.

Carroll said that New Hampshire Department of Transportation requested an annual increase of $400,000 in the contribution to operations but Gov. Chris Sununu did not include that increase in his recent budget proposal.

“The DOT has been excellent supporters of public transportation but they haven’t had a lot of resources,” Carroll told the Valley News in a phone interview.

A recent annual ranking had it at 49th in the country, just ahead of Wyoming, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation. Meanwhile, Maine spends over $14 million per year on public transportation, and Vermont, which has half the population of New Hampshire, spends over $8 million annually.

Advance Transit, whose operation includes 52 employees and 33 buses, stopped charging fares 20 years ago. The agency instead funds about 50% of its budget through federal grants and the remainder through sponsorships, advertising, donations and contributions from municipalities and organizations such as Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Health.

Federal funding levels have increased “significantly” since 2020 for public transportation, by 30% for operation funds and 130% for capital funds. But because these grants require local matches, transportation agencies need to raise the additional funds to benefit.

“It’s hard to imagine a 30% increase in general fund revenues from any of the municipalities that we serve,” Carroll told city councilors. “So if the state were to be more involved then those dollars could be matched.”

Carroll said that Advance Transit seeks to expand its operating times to include Saturday bus services and later evening hours. A 2022 community study indicated “a very strong need” in the Upper Valley for weekend and evening bus operations, including for people who work non-traditional hours or for weekend shopping.

Patrick Adrian may be reached at padrian@vnews.com or at 603-727-3216.

]]>