Planning, Economic Development, & Environment Committee – March 17, 2026

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The Planning, Economic Development, & Environment Committee met to discuss critical updates to Asheville’s transit operations, including the long-term Comprehensive Operations Analysis (COA) and the selection of a vendor for the ART bus system’s management and maintenance contract. The committee also reviewed coordination efforts for small business recovery grants following Tropical Storm Helene.

Key Highlights:

• Transit "Draft Network Plan": Staff provided an update on the COA, which is balancing the competing goals of "ridership" (frequency on main corridors) and "coverage" (reaching more geographic areas). A growth concept is being developed to show how the system could expand over 10 years if additional funding is secured.

• New ART Management Contract: The committee reviewed the results of a competitive RFP process for the operation of Asheville Rides Transit. The evaluation committee recommended awarding the contract to RATP Dev. The new contract includes strengthened performance measures, liquidated damages for late or canceled routes, and three new specialized positions to improve the rider experience.

• Crisis Management on Transit: In response to community and driver feedback, the new transit contract will include a Crisis Counselor position with expertise in de-escalation and unhoused outreach to improve safety at the transit center.

• Small Business Grant Coordination: Staff discussed the "Duplication of Benefits" checks required for disaster recovery grants, ensuring that local business owners are pointed to the most effective subrecipient for their specific needs.

11:46 – Subrecipient coordination and duplication of benefits for business grants
13:01 – Introduction to Transit Comprehensive Operations Analysis (COA)
14:17 – Phase 1 & 2 Review: Balancing Ridership vs. Coverage
16:08 – Jarret Walker Associates: Impact analysis on job access and frequency
17:23 – Committee Discussion: Connecting transit corridors to "Missing Middle" housing density
22:28 – Timeline for seeing draft route maps (Expected May/June)
25:43 – Discussion: Convening the Multimodal & Transit Committees for joint review
31:22 – Key Takeaways: RFP results and recommendation for RATP Dev
34:26 – New Performance Standards: Raising on-time performance goal to 80%
35:47 – New Contract Positions: Crisis Counselor, Customer Service Manager, and Recruiter
38:46 – Scoring Matrix: How vendors were evaluated on technical and price proposals
42:39 – Committee Discussion: City accountability and for-profit vs. authority models
51:45 – Reporting & Compliance: Safety committees and public facing dashboards
57:21 – Budgetary Concerns: The $800,000 funding gap for existing services
1:01:24 – Motion to recommend a 3-year vs. 4-year contract term
1:03:35 – Announcement: Carbon Plan hearing regarding Duke Energy rates
1:09:20 – Public Comment: Michael Stratton on the S5 route and neighborhood isolation
1:12:04 – Adjournment