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Regional Public Transportation Authority
WHAT IS A RPTA?
KMPO is in the early stages of considering whether to put a proposal on the November 2010 ballot regarding the formation of a Regional Public Transportation Authority, or RPTA. A Board subcommittee has been formed to look into the feasibility of forming such a government agency, An RPTA is a local transit authority, much like Spokane Transit Authority in Spokane, that addresses public transportation issues. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF FORMING A RPTA? The advantages of forming a RPTA is that the agency's focus is solely on public transportation and allows for better coordination of public transportation services. Under an RPTA, monitoring of how federal grant money is spent is usually paid more attention and there is a unified effort to secure funding through federal and local sources. An RPTA also requires more accountability to the public, stakeholders, and member jurisdictions. Currently, different Kootenai County agencies have formed a loose-knit collaboration to cover planning, funding, and operations regarding public transportation. Occasionally though, this can cause issues with cooperation and conflicts of interest. HOW WOULD A RPTA BE ORGANIZED AND FUNDED? An RPTA would be governed by a board of local elected and appointed officials representing cities, the county, highway districts and Native American Tribes within Kootenai County. It would be funded through the Federal Transit Administration and local match money. WHAT MATERIALS CAN I VIEW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FORMATION OF A RPTA? KMPO has compiled a white paper regarding the feasibility of forming a RPTA. Kelli Fairless, Executive Director of Valley Ride, attended the January 2010 KMPO Board meeting to give a power point presentation on the experience of starting a RPTA in the Treasure Valley area of Idaho. Both materials can be viewed below by clicking on the title. RPTA White Paper |
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Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization:
221 W. First Avenue, Suite 310, Spokane, WA 99201 / 800-698-1927 fax: 509-343-6400 |
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