MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Monongalia County Commissioners plan to execute a series of broadband expansion projects by the end of the year and support Mountain Line Transit Authority (MLTA) bus passes for the less fortunate.
Commission President Sean Sikora said they plan to spend $1.25 million by the end of the year to address small areas in the county struggling with broadband coverage. Calling it the “orphan broadband project,” he said it’s focused on smaller neighborhoods and areas that don’t currently have service. It is not part of the comprehensive plan announced last year.
“We have to define the projects and allocate those dollars by the end of the year, so it’s a real fast-tracked RFP,” Sikora said. “It’s going to be a lot of over the next couple months to get to that point.”
The commission used information gathered during the preparation for the larger comprehensive broadband expansion project to help them identify the smaller areas they refer to as “donut holes” that smaller internet service providers could address.
“We will point them into these neighborhoods that otherwise wouldn’t get to for tens of years because there’s so much money focusing on the larger areas,” Sikora said.
Commissioners also approved a monthly expense not to exceed $5,000 per month through the end of the fiscal year to provide bus fares for the less fortunate through the MLTA. MLTA General Manager Maria Smith said the prepaid passes would go to non-profits who would distribute the passes as needed.
“Allow those who need transportation support to be able to purchase pre-paid county passes,” Smith said. “And we have another program that’s going to help them get to the social service agencies, and this provides that cushion for the social service agencies to get their clients where they need to go.”
With the use of passes, data will be captured to help county and city officials evaluate the level of use of the program. Free MLTA rides began shortly after Hazels House of Hope opened on Scott Avenue, and they multiplied quickly to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“We’re going to be able to provide data to you,” Smith said. “We’re going to take a look at the social service agencies that are purchasing these passes—how many they’re purchasing and the use of the passes.”
As costs continued to increase, the city and county struggled to find solutions, while MLTA was forced to find alternate solutions to the free ride program. Looking at the pass data will allow them to understand the need and potential resources to meet it.
“Moving away from free ridership and toward the pass program will help us define the need going forward,” Sikora said. “It will add value to it and allow us to find a permanent solution, and that’s what we’re here for.”