Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority

This strategic plan for the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) provides a comprehensive roadmap for the period of 2026-2031. Developed with extensive stakeholder input, the plan focuses on four key goals: enhancing customer experience, ensuring wise stewardship of resources, achieving operational excellence, and fostering regional growth. Its overarching purpose is to drive community success by providing safe, reliable, and caring transit services, envisioning a future where transit powers a thriving community for all.

The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority's 2026-2031 Strategic Plan is designed to drive community success through safe, reliable, and caring transit service, ultimately building a community where public transportation powers economic opportunity, workforce access, and regional vitality. Key priorities include advocating for full federal funding of public transportation programs, supporting surface transportation reauthorization, incentivizing domestic bus manufacturing, streamlining FTA reporting and spare ratio reforms, ensuring effective fleet and facilities management, and enhancing safety and security. Priority projects focus on vehicle monitoring and maintenance, Bus Rapid Transit development, workforce development, the TARTA Mobility District, and expanding paratransit services.

This Capital Investment Program defines the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority's strategic roadmap for advancing capital projects. It outlines financing, priorities, and timing for investments over several years, focusing on enhancing customer service, operational efficiency, financial health, and community betterment. Key areas of investment include maintenance facility upgrades, transit center renovations, bus rapid transit development, fleet modernization towards energy efficiency, and technology enhancements. The plan aims to ensure future capital investments align with TARTA's mission and vision, support grant applications, and provide transparent planning and budgeting for infrastructure improvements.

This plan is a collaborative initiative designed to improve human service transportation in Lucas County for seniors, individuals with disabilities, and other transportation-disadvantaged populations. Its primary objective is to identify existing transportation resources, systematically address service gaps, and establish a more coordinated and efficient transportation network. The plan outlines five main goals: to promote and expand local mobility management, enhance the accessibility and awareness of paratransit and senior transportation services, improve workforce access to transportation, ensure equitable access for low-income and underserved communities, and integrate new technology to foster more inclusive transportation services. The overarching aim is to ensure vulnerable populations have access to essential services, employment, and community activities.

This document details the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority's (TARTA) proposed Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program Goal for 2024-2026. The program aims to provide equal opportunity for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals in government-funded transportation and infrastructure projects. Key objectives include combating discrimination, setting an overall triennial DBE goal based on estimated budgets and certified DBEs, and enhancing outreach and engagement with disadvantaged businesses. TARTA has adopted an aspirational 10% DBE goal to foster economic development and social impact, committing to regular outreach, transparent bidding processes, and support for DBE certification.