Coast to reduce service on some routes beginning next month

COAST, will be adjusting several service routes next month. The changes are being driven due to cuts at the federal level, resulting in lower overall reimbursement rates for the transportation services COAST provides across the Greater Seacoast.

Beginning October 4 the following changes will take effect:

• Routes 42 and 100 will be discontinued.
• Route 33 Saturday service will operate the same as the current weekday schedule.
• Route 40 will be extended in the outbound direction to serve Great Bay Community College and the Pease Airline Terminal, beyond C&J.
• Route 40's first run will be discontinued.
• Route 43 will no longer serve Atlantic Heights, Shattuck, or the Newington Town Hall, which will affect the timing of the route.
• All services systemwide will end by 8:15 p.m.

As a nonprofit organization, COAST's annual $7.5-$8.5 million budget must be raised from a variety of sources. Historically, the federal government, through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), congressional appropriations, and one-time grants, has covered 60% of COAST's operating costs. This year, 53% of COAST's budget is coming from federal sources, a number projected to drop by another percentage point or two in the coming years.

Beginning in fiscal year 2024, COAST saw its FTA funding reduced by $341,980 annually due to changes in calculation formulas and increased growth in urbanized areas nationwide that outpaced local growth and overall funding increases.

For more information about COAST and its services, visit www.coastbus.org.