Commissioners discuss transportation

A presentation on public transportation was the main topic of discussion at the Nov. 15 Lorain County commissioners meeting.

Timothy Rosenberger, an executive of WSP USA, gave a lengthy presentation on his firm’s analysis of the county’s current public transportation infrastructure and ways it could be improved.

Currently, Lorain County Transit, commonly called LCT, primarily is used by lower income individuals who are traveling for education or work.

It consists of two routes that run between Elyria and Lorain.

There is a two-hour gap between routes, Rosenberger said.

According to Rosenberger, the current fare price of $4.10 is the largest among the county’s peers, and his firm suggests cutting the ticket price to $2.

The firm recommends purchasing two buses, cutting the gap between routes to a single hour and extending the hours of operation to 10:30 p.m. as a possible way to increase ridership, he said.

These changes would double the cost of operating the routes to $620,000, but half of the improvements could be handled through federal money, Rosenberger said.

According to Rosenberger, the firm also recommends expanding the service by creating an Avon Connector, a Lorain West Route, an Elyria Central Route and an Avon Parkand-Ride.

The Avon Connector would connect Elyria to Sheffield Village and out on Interstate 90 to service Avon Commons.

It would cost an additional $352,000 and require an additional bus, Rosenberger said.

A Lorain West Route would extend from southern Lorain to the west side which is currently not serviced by the two routes currently in operation and reach Walmart as well as Mercy Health. It would cost an additional $352,000 and require another bus.

The Elyria Central Route is low priority, according to Rosenberger. It would expand service along Abbe Road and would require three additional buses.

The Avon Park-and–Ride would extend service into Cleveland by way of Avon. It would cost an additional $670,000 and require two additional buses.

Commissioner Matt Lundy questioned what kind of buses would be necessary for these extended services.

Rosenberger said the current buses, which seats about 25 could work, but the county should look later into coach-style buses used by RTA in Cleveland.

Commissioner Ted Kalo said the county already was aware of much of what Rosenberger shared, but it’s more a question of the cost of these projects.

“We’ve not had much support county-wide in regards to the transit issue,” Kalo said.

In other news, the commissioners were scheduled to vote to join the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office to appoint an outside counsel to pursue civil litigation against manufacturers and distributors of prescription opiates.

Commission President Lori Kokoski brought the issue before the board and Kalo had seconded it when Lundy pushed discussion of the suit to executive session.

The vote was tabled.

These changes would double the cost of operating the routes to $620,000, but half of the improvements could be handled through federal money, Rosenberger said.