United States Transit Funding, Inc. Secures Funding For All Of Its FY2016 Intercity Bus Security Clients

June 30^th, 2016

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Barry Lewis, Chief Executive Officer, United States Transit Funding, Inc.
barrylewis@epassenger.net – email

United States Transit Funding, Inc. Secures Funding For All Of Its Intercity Bus Security Clients

USTF Clients Secure 65.29% More Funding Than Industry Average

Company Continues To Work With House Appropriations Committee on Homeland Security to Increase Funding For Grant Program

United States Transit Funding, Inc. is pleased to announce that each of its 20 clients were funded through the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Intercity Bus Security Grant Program.

Through a comprehensive approach to enhancing passenger and public safety, $953,100 was raised totaling 31.77% of this years’ $3 million grant round.

On average, United States Transit Funding clients secured $18,825 more than the average Intercity Bus Security Grant client.

Between United States Transit Funding clients and Greyhound’s own grant award for FY2016, $1.207 million or 40.24% of all awards were secured on 21 grant awards while the remaining 70 grant awards averaged $25,607 in funding or 59.66% of this years’ funding.

“We are pleased with this fiscal years’ results based on our clients’ grant awards and we look forward to taking the next steps so that our clients achieve the programmatic goals and outcomes based on submitted grant budgets,” said Barry Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of United States Transit Funding, Inc.

“Additionally, we are pleased that this years’ grant awards, despite limited funding, can lead to enhanced passenger and public safety in concert with our strategic partners with the United States Department of Homeland Security. We applaud Homeland Security’s continued effort to help mitigate a domestic terror event within this industry and we look forward to continuing that work.” Lewis added.

United States Transit Funding, Inc. was able to increase the number of its Homeland Security grant clients year-over-year from eight to 20 companies based on its continued dedication to enhancing passenger and public safety as well as its continued work with Homeland Security through its ePassenger© and iPassenger© technology product line.

Lewis also said that it is working diligently to ensuring that the grant program increases funding in subsequent grant years based on a needs analysis that was prepared in May.

“We prepared a needs analysis that indicates a $250 million gaping hole for the industry to enhance bus & bus facility security and technology needs,” Lewis said. “We are doing everything that we can to ensure that projects are completed both comprehensively and efficiently.”

According to the needs analysis, here were the findings of United States Transit Funding, Inc.:

United States Transit Funding, Inc. and its principals at ePassenger© and iPassenger© has been working with the over-the-road motorcoach industry since 2008 where it has delivered customized grant development and administration solutions throughout each of the 10 Federal Transit Administration regions.

Over the past year, the leadership team has continued to deliver successful grant funding for the industry while continuing to analyze the need that the industry has.

When the Intercity Bus Security Grant program was launched, the Appropriations Sub-Committee for Homeland Security provided more than $100 million in funding between Fiscal Years 2003 and 2011 for the over-the-road motor coach industry for those that provide DOT-regulated passenger-carrier service.

However, over the last five fiscal years, a total of $6 million has been allocated for competitive funding resulting in a reduction of $8.131 million annually (See Table Enclosed)

Since the beginning of this year, United States Transit Funding, Inc. has been able to analyze the funding need for the over-the-road motor coach industry based on those companies that provide qualified transportation to UASI jurisdictions.

Here are some of the key facts:

1. Based on 2,334 companies that provide DOT-regulated passenger-carrier transportation, there is an estimated bus facility funding need of $204.225 million to ensure that bus facilities and passenger terminal security is enhanced in order to prevent and mitigate a domestic terror event within the United States.

2. Based on half of the DOT-regulated companies which travel to UASI jurisdictions more than 50 times over the course of a calendar year, there is bus security need of $50.822 million for video cameras and Global Positioning Satellite Service.

3. According to the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, there are an estimated 217,090 private commercial buses within the United States that are registered or four times more than the number of buses registered according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. (Source: Table MV-10)
4. Following the terror events of 9/11, there was an anticipated reduction of 14.8% in “personal business” trips through the use of motor coaches despite there not being an event where a bus or a bus facility was subjected to a domestic terror event and despite all of the historical and recent warning signs domestically and internationally of which include:

• Richmond, Virginia shooting at Greyhound terminal
• FBI investigation of ISIS cells in each of the 50 states
• Assassination of Officers Ramos and Liu in New York City in December 2014 by a wanted fugitive who took a bus from Baltimore to New York City after shooting a girlfriend

5. Annual Vehicle Miles Traveled increased by 5.48% between calendar years 2013 and 2014 according to the Federal Highway Administration. (Source: Table VM-1)