But this year’s higher transit fee is projected to bring in almost $1.2 million — local revenue that can be used to attract state and federal matching grants, Transit Services Supervisor Lisa Namba noted.

“Typically we can leverage that one to one,” she said.

That should create enough room in the budget for at least a modest service expansion on some routes, Namba said, either in terms of longer hours or greater frequency.

“Our ultimate goal, obviously, is to get more people using the system,” Steckel said. “The additional revenue we’ve been able to get will allow us to take the next step toward that.”

A streamlining effect

While the $148,000 brought in by the sidewalk fee hasn’t funded any additional service, it has streamlined the way the city takes care of trouble spots and evened out the impact on taxpayers.

City employees inspect sidewalks in one part of town each year, identifying concrete panels that need to be ground down or replaced to eliminate tripping hazards. In the past, property owners were notified and instructed to have the work done by a licensed contractor, jobs that can run into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars.