Perry County Transit system earns national recognition | July 20, 2023
Perry County Ohio Transit system earns national recognition
BY JIM PHILLIPS PERRY COUNTY TRIBUNE EDITOR
Perry County Transit takes pride in its efforts to increase mobility for people who live in a sprawling rural area. As well it should, apparently – the program, which is run by Perry County Job & Family Services, was recently recognized as the nation’s best small community transportation system.
“They went out to Oklahoma recently, a couple months ago, and received that award,” Perry County Commissioner Ben Carpenter confirmed. “It’s a big deal. We have the best rural transit organization in the country.”
The award, for Community Transportation System of the Year – Small System, was bestowed by the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA). Those in the running for the title were any member transportation systems providing service in rural areas with populations of 50,000 and below, and/ or those receiving funding under sections 5310 or 5311 of the federal transit act. (Section 5310 relates to enhancing mobility for seniors and people with disabilities, and 5311 provides supplemental funding for public transit service in sparsely populated, non-urbanized areas.)
According to PCJFS Assistant Director Mendra Hupp, the CTAA member programs that would typically apply for this award would include non-emergency medical or other specialized transportation service, rural systems, and tribal systems.
Hupp noted that CTAA is a national organization, and this is a competitive award.
“The president of CTAA actually mentioned how tough this category was to select a recipient,” she said.
Those nominated for the award need to display standout work in all of these areas:
- Providing innovative and creative services in the community
- Being responsive to customers’ and community needs
- Actively coordinating and collaborating with other public and special services transportation
- Effectively helping the community accomplish their goals
- Creating partnerships with a wide range of organizations, both public and private
- Providing accessible transportation service
- Building transportation alternatives that are intended to meet a wide range of the communities’ needs
“This is something that our transit system does and continues to work towards,” Hupp told The Perry County Tribune in an email. “I feel that our rural transit agency has tried to enhance its services by offering transportation in a variety of ways to reach the county’s most vulnerable populations. The development and implementation of the Zero Loop which is designed to connect the villages in the county.
The goal is to connect Perry County residents through access to family, social services, church, recreation, businesses, medical providers, and other critical resources. PCT tries to be aware of gaps in services and works hard to help address them from a transportation standpoint… Perry County Transit’s economic impact is far reaching, from local job creation, to providing transit services for local residents, to creating new revenue streams for local businesses, PCT has made measurable impact.”
Hupp said the team at PCT “is very humbled to receive this award."
To be recognized nationally for the efforts that are full of passion and desire to serve those in our community is amazing. We commend all of our staff for providing such a valuable service in our community.”
Click on the photo below to view full size.
From left: CTAA Executive Director Scott Bogren; PCT Supervisor Debra Smith; PCT Assistant Director Mendra Hupp; PCT Director Cheryl Boley; Perry County Mobility Manager Lisa Leckrone; and PCT Supervisor Mason Dickerson
