Ask AI
Opens the assistant with a question about this page. Answers come from the AI, not this site.
ChatGPTClaudePerplexityStoryline · 6 events · Jul 18, 2025 – Oct 13, 2026
Amarillo City Transit: the coordinated transportation plan, route review and 2026 federal grants (2025-2026)
Quick answers
- What is the latest on City Transit plan and grants?
- Oct 13, 2026: Council adopts the transit grant resolution after a public hearing with no speakers. Item 7.1 on October 13, 2026 was a public hearing on ACT's FY 2026 program of projects and the second and final reading of Resolution No. 09-22-26-1. Read the event
- How far back does this record of City Transit plan and grants go?
- To Jul 18, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025: ACT gathers stakeholder and public input to update its coordinated transportation plan. The storyline has 6 dated events in all. Read the event
Amarillo City Transit (ACT), a City department, is the designated recipient of Federal Transit Administration funds for the Amarillo urbanized area. From July to December 2025 it gathered stakeholder and public input to update its Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan, which guides Section 5310 projects for seniors and people with disabilities. A draft was posted in January 2026 and reviewed at public meetings on February 24 and 26. ACT held public meetings on proposed fixed-route changes in June 2026. On September 22, 2026 the plan and a Section 5310 program management plan were presented to the City Council, which passed on first reading a resolution to apply for and accept $2,864,674 in Section 5307 funds, $237,169 in Section 5339 funds, $275,335 in Section 5310 funds and $388,975 in state funds. After a public hearing with no speakers, the council adopted it on October 13, 2026 by voice vote.
A storyline groups dated events in order. It is a chronology, not an argument; it does not say why anything happened. All storylines
· Origin
ACT gathers stakeholder and public input to update its coordinated transportation plan
According to the draft plan, ACT's update drew on a stakeholder survey (July 18 to September 30, 2025, 17 responses), stakeholder planning sessions on August 19, 21, 26 and 28, 2025 (5 attendees) and September 17-18 (City only, 4 attendees), two public meetings on November 18 and 20, 2025 (16 attendees in total), and a public survey (November 6 to December 31, 2025, 125 responses).[1]
- ✓ Verified
The draft plan says the update "is based on stakeholder input gathered in August–September 2025, public outreach conducted in November 2025, and surveys from July–December 2025": stakeholder planning sessions August 19, 21, 26 and 28, 2025 (5 attendees) and September 17-18, 2025 (City only, 4 attendees); public meetings November 18 and 20, 2025 (16 attendees in total); a stakeholder survey July 18 to September 30, 2025 (17 responses); and a public survey November 6 to December 31, 2025 (125 responses). [1]
- Public survey responses
- 125
- Stakeholder survey responses
- 17
- Public meeting attendees
- 16
- ✓ Verified
The plan "identifies transportation needs for seniors, individuals with disabilities, low-income individuals, veterans, students, and other transportation-disadvantaged populations in the Amarillo region" and "guides Section 5310 project development." It says ACT will review and update it every 4-5 years. [1]
· Context
Draft Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan is posted
The draft plan, posted in the City's January 2026 uploads, lists service gaps including limited Pleasant Valley service, no Sunday service, limited evening service and a lunchtime gap on Route #13, and fares of $2-$4 per ACT Connect trip, doubled for riders outside the three-quarter-mile buffer. Its top community priorities are extended evening service, Route #13 mid-day improvements, Pleasant Valley expansion and a fare subsidy for riders outside the buffer. It lists five projects eligible for Section 5310 funding but says they are not proposed for funding under this Section 5310 plan; ACT will instead address priorities through its Comprehensive Operational Analysis and forthcoming route modifications.[1]
- ✓ Verified
Gaps listed in the draft include limited Pleasant Valley service; insufficient lunchtime service on Route #13, evening service and no Sunday service; neighborhoods without bus stops and limited sidewalk connections; and difficulty affording ACT Connect fares of $2-$4 per trip, with riders outside the three-quarter-mile buffer paying double fares. [1]
- ✓ Verified
The draft's top community priorities, in order: extend evening service; Route #13 mid-day improvement and hour extensions; Pleasant Valley service expansion; a fare subsidy for riders outside the three-quarter-mile buffer; a shopping transportation service; benches, shelters and ADA-accessible pathways; travel training and rider assistance; and AISD coordination for monthly passes. [1]
- ✓ Verified
The draft lists five projects eligible for Section 5310 funding (shopping transportation; benches, shelters and ADA pathways; travel training; an out-of-service-area fare subsidy; and an AISD trip assistance and monthly pass partnership) but states, "at this time they are not proposed for funding under this Section 5310 Plan." It says ACT will address priorities "through its recent Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) and forthcoming systemwide route modifications," naming extended evening service, Route #13 mid-day improvements and Pleasant Valley access. [1]
- ✓ Verified
The draft PDF is stored in the City's January 2026 uploads folder and its file metadata gives a creation date of January 20, 2026; the document itself is undated. The date of this event is therefore approximate. [1]
· Context
ACT holds community review meetings on the draft coordinated plan
ACT held community review meetings on the draft plan on February 24 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and February 26 (4 to 6 p.m.), 2026 at the ACT Multimodal Transfer Station, 509 S. Bowie St., with limited free rides to the meetings and online comments through the City's website. ACT Director Chris Quigley said, "ACT is in the review phase of this plan, and we are asking the community once again for input."[2][3]
- ✓ Verified
A February 13, 2026 City news release set community review meetings for February 24 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and February 26 (4 to 6 p.m.) at the ACT Multimodal Transfer Station, 509 S. Bowie St., and said the plan focuses on transportation options for seniors, individuals with disabilities and people with reduced incomes. Limited free rides to the meetings were offered by reservation. [2][3]
· Context
ACT holds public meetings on proposed fixed-route bus changes
ACT held five evening public meetings at City libraries from June 10 to June 18, 2026 on possible modifications to its fixed bus routes, and took online survey feedback until July 19. NewsChannel 10 reported that the department had hired outside consultants to analyze the routes and identify where changes could improve efficiency. Neither report described specific route changes or a timeline.[4][5]
- ✓ Verified
NewsChannel 10 listed five meetings, each 5 to 7 p.m.: June 10 (Downtown Library), June 11 (Northwest Library), June 15 (North Library), June 17 (East Library) and June 18 (Southwest Library). A later report said the department had hired outside consultants to analyze the bus routes and identify where changes could improve efficiency, and that the online survey was open until July 19. Neither report named the consultant or listed proposed route changes. [4][5]
- ✓ Verified
Chris Quigley, ACT Director: "ACT values community feedback to help evaluate bus routes in order to best serve our customers." [4]
· Trigger
Council hears the coordinated plan and passes the transit grant resolution on first reading, 5-0
Discussion item 4.1 on September 22, 2026 presented the ACT Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan and Section 5310 Program Management Plan; a City transit planner presented. Later in the meeting the council passed Resolution No. 09-22-26-1 on first reading, 5-0, authorizing applications for and acceptance of federal and state transit grants and the use of transportation development credits. The proposed FY 2026 program of projects uses Section 5307 funds for preventive maintenance, training and operating assistance ($5,180,343 total project cost) and Section 5339 funds for bus stop signs and vehicle rehabilitation.[6][7][8]
Cole StanleyTim ReidDon TippsDavid PrescottLes Simpson
- ✓ Verified
The September 22, 2026 agenda listed discussion item 4.1, "Presentation of the Amarillo City Transit Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan and Section 5310 Program Management Plan," and item 7.7, the first reading of Resolution No. 09-22-26-1. Draft minutes (in the October 13 agenda packet, for approval) record that a City transit planner presented item 4.1 and that item 7.7 passed 5-0 on a motion by Councilmember Tipps seconded by Councilmember Reid, after the Grant/Compliance Coordinator presented it. [6][8]
- ✓ Verified
The FY 2026 proposed program of projects (September 22 packet, p. 324) lists Section 5307 funds for preventive maintenance ($720,553 federal, $900,693 total), training ($11,458 federal, $14,322 total) and operating assistance ($2,132,663 federal, $377,787 state and $1,754,878 local, $4,265,328 total), for a Section 5307 total of $5,180,343; and Section 5339 funds for passenger amenities (bus stop signs, $100,000 federal) and revenue vehicle rehabilitation and mid-life overhaul ($137,169 federal), with transportation development credits as the non-federal share. It states ACT "is the designated recipient of FTA funds for the Amarillo UZA and does not have any subrecipients." [7]
- Section 5307 total project cost
- $5,180,343
- Operating assistance local
- $1,754,878
- Section 5339 total project cost
- $296,462
· Resolution
Council adopts the transit grant resolution after a public hearing with no speakers
Item 7.1 on October 13, 2026 was a public hearing on ACT's FY 2026 program of projects and the second and final reading of Resolution No. 09-22-26-1. ACT Director Chris Quigley presented. No one spoke at the hearing, and the resolution passed on a voice vote with no opposition heard. It authorizes the City Manager to execute contracts for $2,864,674 (FTA Section 5307, FY 2026), $237,169 (Section 5339, FY 2026), $275,335 (Section 5310, FY 2026) and $388,975 (TxDOT State Urban Public Transportation Program, FY 2027), and to use transportation development credits for the non-federal share of eligible capital projects.[9][8][10]
- ✓ Verified
The October 13, 2026 transmittal memo (packet pp. 71-72) asks the council to hold a public hearing on the FY 2026 program of projects (Section 5307, $2,864,674; Section 5339, $237,169) and to authorize applying for and accepting Section 5310 funds of $275,335 for FY 2026 and TxDOT State Urban Public Transportation Program funds of $388,975 for FY 2027. It says Section 5307 and Section 5310 operating projects require a local cash match approved in the City budget, while capital projects use transportation development credits instead of a cash match, and that the program of projects was available for public review for at least two weeks before the hearing. [8][9]
- Section 5307
- $2,864,674
- Section 5339
- $237,169
- Section 5310
- $275,335
- Txdot state urban
- $388,975
- ✓ Verified
In the meeting video, ACT Director Chris Quigley described the item as the public hearing and second and final reading of the grant resolution, saying the projects are listed in the program of projects posted on the Metropolitan Planning Organization's website in the Transportation Improvement Program. The mayor opened the hearing, no one spoke, and a motion to adopt Resolution No. 09-22-26-1 passed on a voice vote with no opposition heard; the recording gives no tally. Minutes were not yet posted as of October 17, 2026. [10]
Related storylines: Amarillo MPO transportation plans: the 2025-2050 MTP and the FY 2025-2028 and FY 2027-2030 TIPs (2024-2026)
