For years, Allen Regional Transit (A.R.T.) has operated out of a small single-room office tucked into the back of the Recovery House at 16 N. Buckeye St. in Iola.
On June 1, the growing non-profit transportation provider will relocate to 919 N. State St., while also expanding its services after being awarded the federally funded 5310 transportation program.
The move is a big step for A.R.T., which has seen steady growth in ridership and services across Allen County.
A.R.T. CEO Jeff Keithly said the organization has outgrown its current office space, where staff members have worked for years in cramped quarters.
“It especially helps our dispatcher, Cathi Sulanka, because we’re on the phone a lot,” Keithly said of the upcoming move.
The organization has eight employees, and the office can become quite noisy in such a small space.
“The dispatcher is on the phone and then we’ve got all our employees walking in and out of here and they’re loud and they’re talking,” Keithly explained. “This will make it a lot more quiet for Cathi.”
A.R.T. will lease the new building from the Your Community Foundation.
THE RELOCATION comes at a busy time for A.R.T.
Earlier this month, the organization received notification it had been awarded 5310 funding through the Kansas Department of Transportation. The federal program is designed specifically to support transportation services for elderly residents and persons with disabilities.
A.R.T. already operates under a separate 5311 grant that serves the general public. The 5310 designation focuses on seniors, who already account for much of the organization’s ridership.
“Probably 90% of the people we take are elderly,” Keithly said.
Concerns about the future of county-run senior transportation services surfaced during the April 21 Allen County Commission meeting, where commissioners discussed whether the county would continue operating its own service for seniors if A.R.T. were to receive the 5310 award.
Federal guidelines generally favor non-profit organizations over government entities when qualified providers are available, Keithly explained.
Until this month, Allen County held the 5310 designation and operated the program.
Now that A.R.T. has received the 5310 grant, the county will no longer hold that designation or receive the associated funding.
