MAHONING COUNTY Officials discuss transportation

The plan must meet needs of the poor, the elderly and students, an official said.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- If Mahoning County is going to help people move off welfare and into jobs, it must provide them with transportation, officials say.
"The ability to move from Point A to Point B in a dignified manner is critical," said Sarah Brown-Clark, chairman of the Mahoning County Transportation Coalition. County commissioners and other office holders met Tuesday morning with representatives of local transportation providers and people who use those services.
Users: They talked about the need to develop a coordinated plan that meets the needs of everyone who uses public transportation systems, especially those in the welfare-to-work programs.
Welfare reform laws, known as Ohio Works First, went into effect in 1997. Among the requirements was that unemployed adults in low-income families must get a job within three years as a condition for welfare benefits.
But county welfare officials have long said that once people in that situation get a job, they often do not have money to pay for a car so must rely on public transportation to get them to work. Without it, they can't get to work and lose their jobs.
Brown-Clark said a good plan must also address the needs of the elderly and of students who need to get to and from Youngstown State University.
"It's a rather complex problem," county Administrator Gary Kubic said, noting that the plan must also expand to include Trumbull and Columbiana counties, because Mahoning residents might need to travel there for work or services.
WRTA: Commissioners have proposed contracting with the Western Reserve Port Authority to coordinate a transportation plan, but held off on voting until after the public meeting.
Other meetings, like the one on Tuesday, will be held periodically so transportation providers and users can get together and discuss common issues, Kubic said.
bjackson@vindy.com