The Butler Transit Authority passed a motion at its monthly meeting Tuesday to provide service to the new VA Butler Healthcare center in Center Township and the Thompson Greene Apartments at 235 N. Duffy Road in Butler Township.

The motion passed 4-1. Board member Joe Hasychak voted against the motion, while board member John Evans was absent from the meeting.

Because the VA center is in Center Township, which is not part of the authority, the VA will have to pay $1,000 per quarter as a fee for the service.

Authority Executive Director John Paul said he expects service to the new VA center and Thompson Greene Apartments to begin Oct. 1, pending the opening of the VA center.

Public relations manager Kelly Stewart gave a presentation at the meeting that announced that the authority is part of a regional fare program with the Port Authority of Allegheny County.

In this program, authority bus passengers will be able to pay for transactions with a credit or debit card.

They also will be able to use a ConnectCard, a reusable, plastic smart card, to pay for transactions. Passengers will be able to reload money and check their balances via www.connectcard.org.

“It’s for the convenience of the customer,” Paul said.

Port Authority’s system already is set up, but because it is a regional program, the transit authority is waiting on two counties, Westmoreland and Washington, to set their ConnectCard systems up before the program can be put into effect.

Paul said there is no timetable for when that will happen. Fayette County also is part of the program.

Paul said the ConnectCard will be beneficial to passengers when the compressed natural gas buses used for transportation to Pittsburgh arrive.

“They can ride our vehicles to Pittsburgh and then ride the Port Authority vehicles without switching cards,” he said.

The acquisition of the compressed natural gas buses is contingent on matching funds being released by PennDOT.

The authority released a statement saying it sent a letter urging PennDOT to release money to match federal funds awarded to the authority for its CNG buses.

“BTA is working closely with federal, state and local officials for the release of $534,895 in state bond funding to match the $2,627,062 in federal funds for the purchase of five CNG coach buses intended for a planned Butler to Pittsburgh commuter service,” the statement read. “With the deadline fast approaching for the lapsing of these federal funds, BTA has requested PennDOT to expedite its approval process.”

The federal funds will lapse Sept. 30, Paul said.

If the authority does not receive the matching funds by then, it will not be able to acquire the CNG buses, Paul said.

“I’m very hopeful that this will come to a positive conclusion and they’ll release the funds.”