First Capital Trolley awarded grant to further service

The First Capital Trolley plays a vital role for citizens in Guthrie to get from one point to another. The transit service received a financial boost following an announcement from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

Two federal grants were awarded to 10 rural transit providers throughout the state, including the trolley service in Guthrie. The nearly $3.6 million grant to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) will help modernize their fleets with more accessible and reliable vehicles.

The First Capital Trolley learned of the grant on Sept. 8 from the FTA through the competitive Bus and Bus Facilities Grant Program.

For the local transit, they will receive $241,232 as part of their portion of the grant, which equals six minivans

“Public transit plays a crucial role in the daily lives of Oklahomans in small cities and rural areas, and demand for this service is only going to increase,” ODOT Transit Programs Division Manager Ernie Mbroh said. “ODOT will continue to actively pursue any additional funding to help our transit providers update their fleets.”

Transit ridership has seen an increase with people using the service to commute to work, along with the elderly and disabled seek access to medical care and other services.

First Capital Trolley reported from August 2014 to 2015 they provided 144,873 trips, included were 23,000 seniors, 9,973 disabled citizens under the age of 60 and 21,500 were disabled over the age of 60.

According to ODOT, data collected for the state’s current Long Range Transportation Plan shows that rural transit ridership in Oklahoma increased by 8.7 percent, doubling the rate increase in urban ridership, from 2009 to 2013.