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
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.