Local bus station notices increase in ridership

YOUNGSTOWN -- Ridership continues to grow at Western Reserve Transit Authority where double-digit increases have been the norm month after month.
There was a 21 percent increase in ridership last month over October 2000, reported James J. Ferraro, executive director. Much of the increase, he said, came from senior citizens and students. Senior citizen ridership was up 11 percent; student ridership was up 52 percent.
Ferraro announced the increases during the regular November board meeting Thursday afternoon.
Improvements to WRTA's Federal Street station also were discussed. Sidewalk replacement and repair is progressing smoothly, board members said; beginning Monday, traffic patterns at the station will be changed to allow for sidewalk replacement on the east side of the building.
Twenty-two new buses recently added to the WRTA fleet are all running, and plans are under way to sell the 21 buses that they replaced, Ferraro added. All of the buses to be sold are operational.