Connect Transit

The Board discussed ridership trends, noting the impact of students returning to campus and the overall decrease in ridership compared to the previous year. A primary focus of the meeting was the adoption of a new email policy, which provides Board members with official agency email accounts to ensure public records compliance and simplify Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The Board established procedures for these accounts, including the requirement to copy the board clerk on communications to maintain transparency, avoid conflicting information, and prevent inadvertent FOIA violations. Technical support and training for accessing these new accounts were also addressed.

This strategic plan outlines Connect Transit's commitment to providing safe, reliable transportation and access to opportunities, aiming to enrich lives and contribute to the community, economy, and environment. The plan establishes five high-level goals: developing a sustainable, high-performing system; ensuring a quality customer experience; achieving operational excellence; demonstrating undeniable value as an essential public service; and fostering innovative leadership in mobility. The vision for 2021 is to be a robust system of significant social, economic, and environmental value to its stakeholders and the community.

The agenda for the regular session included reviewing the financial information and monthly statistical report for January 2026 under the Consent Agenda. New Business featured a roll call vote recommendation to execute a contract with an executive search firm, KL2 Connects, for the Managing Director search, and an informational presentation on the FY27 Draft Budget. The document details the RFP process for the search firm, noting that KL2 Connects received the highest score of 89.2 out of 100, and recommends a contract award for $44,750. The agenda also allocated time for committee reports, department reports, board comments, and an executive session.

The Budget Work Session preceded the Annual Meeting. The primary purpose of the Annual Meeting, as stated in the By-Laws, was to elect Board officers for the upcoming fiscal year. Nominations were made by a Trustee, and a motion was carried to re-elect the existing officers: Bill Wilson as Chairman, Mike McCurdy as Vice Chairman, and Ryan Whitehouse as Secretary. The meeting was adjourned shortly after the elections.

The meeting commenced with the pledge of allegiance and a review of the Connect Transit mission statement. Discussions during the consent agenda review included statistical reports showing slight gains in fixed-route ridership compared to the previous year, noting limitations in trending analysis due to only one month of data. A significant item was the introduction of the new FTA administrator, Mark Bolinaro, who expressed positive views toward smaller systems and accessibility. An updated Cornerstone report was discussed concerning the allocation and release of $3 million in capital funding previously allocated in 2018, involving coordination with the governor's office during the veto session. Additionally, the e-mirror legislation initiative was mentioned, which was delayed due to political environment surrounding its shell bill. New business involved approving Brady Lang, Deputy Managing Director, as an additional authorized signatory for all Connect Transit bank accounts to ensure dual signatures are maintained. An informational item detailed a plan to establish a regular cadence for committee meetings monthly or bi-monthly to foster richer input and proactively address issues. Upcoming committee topics included ConnectGo service coordination, transfer fare policy, fare system rollout, and the collective bargaining agreement. The Transit Center project's 30% design phase and funding determination were highlighted for the next quarter, alongside messaging/marketing and budget discussions. Finally, a detailed ridership analysis covered Fixed Route data (showing an overall 5% decrease in ridership, with significant drops in certain routes like Purple and Blue, partially attributed to construction/detours on Market Street and College Avenue, and potential cannibalization by Flex service), Connect Mobility stability, and Connect Flex growth since its FY24 introduction. The efficiency of simpler routes (Aqua, Green, Yellow, Pink) was noted as high due to their straight-line structure facilitating transfers.