General Info

In December 1995, Fayette County Transit Study Final Report and Action Plan prepared by Benatec Associates, was presented to Fayette County (The County) Board of Commissioners and Fayette County Transportation Coalition. Fayette County Board of Commissioners endorsed the Study in 1995 and in 1996 by Fayette County (The County) Board of Commissioners. The board charged Fayette County Office of Human Services with the implementation of the study's prescribed Action Plan and Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation (FACT) was created. Early on, the service operation of FACT consisted primarily of the Medical Assistance Transportation Program and the Shared Ride Program for Older Adults. In 1997, FACT began the annual application process for grant funds through the Section 16 Capital Assistance Program and the Community Transportation Capital Equipment grants. In 1999, FACT was successful in becoming a "Designated Recipient" of federal transportation funding. Concurrent with the receipt of the designation, FACT was awarded $200, 000 for the provision of transportation services through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Welfare-to-Work Transportation Demonstration Program. Federal Earmarks of $1, 035, 000 for Bus Purchases and $225, 475 for a Bus and Intermodal Facility were also designated at that time. In 2000, FACT became a grant recipient of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Rural Transportation Division under a "demonstration status." FACT's Rural Transportation "Demonstration" Program was initially awarded $287, 000. Another federal earmark of $445, 991 for the Intermodal Facility and Buses was also awarded at that time. In 2001, FACT again received another federal earmark of $495, 157 for the Maintenance Facility and was eligible for Job Access/Reverse Commute grant funds of $400, 000. In 2002, $990, 029 was earmarked for the FACT Transit Facility and in 2003; another federal earmark was awarded for this same project for $885, 311. In 2003, FACT was designated as an urban transit operation. No longer was FACT a rural transportation operation, FACT was awarded $519, 374 under the Federal Urbanized Area Program. In 2005, FACT was awarded an additional $388, 350 in federal funds for the completion of the new FACT Transit Center. FACT's governing body is Fayette County Board of Commissioners. This governing body is advised by Fayette County Transportation Executive Committee, which consists of seven members; four members appointed by the Commissioners and three members elected by Fayette County Transportation Coalition, Fayette County's transportation consumer advocacy organization. Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation currently serves the geographic area of Fayette County. Additionally, FACT makes occasional trips to West Virginia, and into Allegheny, Westmoreland, and Washington Counties, primarily for medical purposes. Trips to West Virginia are only to the WVU Medical Center and other medical centers in Morgantown, which, as regional facilities, offer medical services not available locally. All FACT buses meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and are wheelchair accessible. FACT has formed partnerships with many county education, medical, human service, and community organizations during its existence. These partnerships include federal, state, and local governments as well as regional partnerships such as membership in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC). With the rapid development of FACT transportation operations, plans for a new facility to accommodate current and future growth were devised. The facility, FACT Transit Center, was completed during 2nd quarter of calendar year 2005 and shortly thereafter FACT began operating out of this location. The Transit Center includes administrative offices, as well as maintenance and bus storage facilities. Plans for the construction of a Bus Wash and a Fueling Station are in progress due to an $874, 601 federal grant