Greater Dayton RTA CEO Mark Donaghy has been selected to serve as the VP of the Bus Coalition, a national advocacy organization that supports funding for federal transit bus and bus facility programs.

Donaghy was voted into the position on March 17, at an annual membership meeting in Washington, D.C.

Donaghy has more than 39 years of experience in public transportation. As CEO of Greater Dayton RTA, he oversees the fourth largest public transit system in Ohio with more than 650 employees, a $63 million operating budget and a $67 million five-year Capital Improvement Program.

“I am honored by my colleagues asking me to serve in a leadership role with our Bus Coalition,” Donaghy said.

Funding for local public transportation networks across the nation is affected by national level. Donaghy has recently worked with the Bus Coalition, alongside the combined efforts of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA), to advocate the need to restore and grow federal funding for the nation’s aging bus fleets. The Coalition petitioned Ohio Congressman Mike Turner to fight for this mission, by speaking out on the House floor on the issue which led to a vote to restore funding and ultimately became law as the FAST Act, authorizing more than $1 billion in transit funding over the life of the bill.

“Much work remains to be done each year to insure appropriators recognize the continuing need for transit funding, and we must begin the work to insure the successor legislation also meets the needs of transit operators in the future,” Donaghy said.

The Bus Coalition has over 155 member agencies and a footprint in 43 states and the District of Columbia, including small, medium and large transit agencies, state transit associations, and bus manufacturers and suppliers.

Founded in 2013 with only 17 charter members, The Bus Coalition has grown tremendously in the past five years and with that growth the Coalition’s influence has grown too. Working with public transit supporters in Congress, the Coalition has increased funding for bus programs in the FAST Act by more than $1 billion and more recently increased bus funding by $400 million in the FY18 Omnibus Appropriations bill.

Working in concert with APTA and CTAA, the Bus Coalition is dedicated to ensuring bus public transit programs are funded at a level necessary to provide safe and reliable service to all Americans.