The TAPS transit agency is severely distressed, and continuing to receive bad news about its finances.
Valerie Wigglesworth has been closely monitoring the sorry state of financial affairs of TAPS Public Transit, which serves communities in the North Texas counties of Collin, Clay, Cooke, Fannin, Grayson, Montague and Wise.
"The financial picture for TAPS Public Transit seems to be one step forward, two steps back," according to Wigglesworth's most recent report. That assessment came after an audit from the Texas Department of Transportation "that found problems with records submitted to the state agency for reimbursement between September 2013 and July 2015." The one step forward in this case, was a reimbursement from TxDOT that allowed TAPS to finish its November 6 payroll.
Other bad news from the article includes layoffs and a cancellation of a multi-year contract with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. "Last week, the cities of Frisco and McKinney also voted to terminate their contracts with TAPS," adds Wigglesworth.
An article by Wigglesworth from September reported on the debts owed by the agency, owing $4 million at the time and "expected to end the fiscal year between $800,000 and $1.6 million in the red." At the time, the transit agencies woes were contributing to "missed rides, unpaid bills, and long waits," according to the article.
FULL STORY: TAPS Public Transit gets more bad news with TxDOT audit
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.