Area one step closer to micro-transit system

FINDLAY — The Hancock, Hardin, Wyandot and Putnam Community Action Commission (HHWPCAC) has secured nearly $2 million in federal and state funding to significantly expand public transportation services for area residents. The funding will support the development of a new micro-transit system for the Hancock Area Transportation Services, which currently operates a demand-responsive, curb-to-curb service similar to a taxi model. Riders request pick-ups and drop-offs, but the system is operating at full capacity, Josh Anderson, HHWPCAC CEO and president said. A new and improved efficiency micro-transit system would allow for more rides. In 2026, HATS provided 73,000 rides in Hancock County, averaging 3,330 rides per month. With the micro-transit system in place, it is believed HATS will average 8,300 rides per month. Anderson has said the new system would be a "reimagined" version of HATS. The micro-transit system would operate in a fashion closer to what might be seen in a bigger municipality with transportation zones that will be dynamic and are set to change based on rider demand. To get between zones, riders will have to transfer vehicles. This would allow individual vehicles to cover a smaller footprint and provide more rides. The funding is not necessarily new, but HHWPCAC was "able to leverage some local support from some key players that we weren't able to at a point in the past," he said. "That's what will really allow us to transform the system into something that we hope will serve customers in Hancock County to a much greater degree." The nearly $2 million award from both federal and state funding is dollar-for-dollar matched with local funding sources including Hancock County Commissioners, city of Findlay, Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation, Tall Timbers Industrial Park and the Blanchard Valley Port Authority. Anderson clarifies that in order to receive federal funding for the new system, HHWPCAC needed to demonstrate a dollar of local match for every dollar of requested federal funds. Both state and county funds are counted as local funds, as are funds generated through fee for service contracts earned through the current HATS system. Acquiring the funding is what set changes in motion to move towards the new system, he said. Anderson said discussions of a micro-transit implementation plan are expected to begin in the coming weeks with the goal of offering services in the micro-transit model by early 2027. At a December Hancock County Commissioners meeting, commissioners signed a resolution approving a memorandum of understanding to improve public transportation in the county. The agreement is set to cost the county $125,000 over the next five years. The city of Findlay previously pledged $100,000 to the effort. Brian Treece, president and CEO of the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation, has said transportation has been a critical need for the county and is a "key building block for a strong community." The new micro-transit system is a direct response to complaints from the community that more resources are needed for seniors, individuals with disabilities, families with limited resources and members of the workforce who may not have access to another vehicle. Founded in 1997, HATS now employs over 50 people and has a fleet of 46 vehicles. HHWPCAC is a private, nonprofit corporation established in 1965 to combat poverty and increase community well-being in the four-county area.