By Greg Halbleib
BLOOMINGTON – Connect Transit may be forced to shut down its buses at the end of the year if the state doesn’t keep its funding promise.
Connect Transit general manager Andrew Johnson told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin he learned only a few days ago that the state didn’t have enough available cash to pay the next installment of its funding–about $5 million.
“Even as recently as two weeks ago, the comptroller’s office told the Illinois Public Transportation Association that as soon as contracts were done, the money would start flowing,” Johnson said. “Then last week, they reversed course and said there was no money in the account and no transfers to be made.”
The $5 million owed by the state is about one-third of Connect Transit’s budget according to Johnson. He says state funding accounts for about two-thirds of the annual Connect Transit budget and cuts can’t make up for it.
“You can’t really cut your way out of that. That is not a viable model if the state is not providing the funding,” Johnson said. “Even if we hadn’t done the service expansion, which was not a huge service expansion, it still would not have protected us from this situation.”
Johnson said he’s met with local lawmakers and is optimistic the state will follow through on its financial commitment before buses must be parked.
Greg Halbleib can be reached at greg@wjbc.com.
