The Affordable Care Act will cost the Butler Transit Authority an additional $90,000 next year.

Executive director John Paul told board members at the authority’s meeting Tuesday that health care for 10 drivers will add the extra cost.

The drivers are subcontracted from Coach USA. Paul said the company has about 100 total employees, making their drivers eligible for health care through the Affordable Care Act beginning Dec. 1.

The drivers currently do not have health insurance through the company.

“Under our contract, we will be required to provide medical coverage for those employees,” Paul said.

The expense will begin in December and will cover the final seven months of the 2014-15 fiscal year.

Paul said it would cost about $150,000 for an entire year.

The 10 drivers are all full-time employees under the health care law, which set the bar at 30 hours per week.

But despite the increase in health care coverage, the authority still approved a balanced $2 million operating budget. Most of the authority’s revenue will come from state and federal grants.

The authority is set to receive more than $893,000 in federal funding and $788,352 in state grants.

Other funding comes from local grants, reserves and interest income.

The authority expects to spend $680,000 on general administration, $979,000 on vehicle operations, and $306,000 on maintenance.

The budget is about $200,000 more than the 2013-14 budget, Paul said.

Rt. 528 park and ride

Paul said work on the Route 528 park and ride lot is on schedule and nearing completion.

“They hope to begin paving next week,” he said. “But there’s no final fate set yet.”

After the lot is paved, the final step will be painting the parking lines.

“It’ll be open when the paint dries,” Paul said.

The $1.9 million expansion project will increase the lot from about 100 spaces to about 300 spaces. The project also will add a bus stop shelter.

The authority does not currently use the lot, but hopes to after creating a service to Pittsburgh. The New Castle Transit Authority used the lot for its service to Pittsburgh before closing down in December.

Commuters have been using temporary parking at North Boundary Park until renovations to the lot are completed.

Paul said Tuesday that Jackson Township hopes to connect Jo Deener Road to the park and ride entrance to eliminate an intersection along Route 528.

The road intersects with Route 528 just north of the park and ride.

Paul said the township would handle all the expenses of that project. He does not know how soon the township hopes to connect the road, but said he thinks it will be soon.