NILES Board of control approves deal for Trumbull community busing

The service will expand to the entire county within 30 days.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Minor scheduling details must be worked out, but Trumbull County will have a new bus service by next month.
Mayor Ralph Infante said the city's board of control approved a $621,000 contract Wednesday with Community Busing Services to provide demand-response transportation throughout the county.
The money includes local contributions from participating communities and county commissioners, as well as funding from the Federal Transit Authority.
The contract is for a one-year pilot program called Niles-Trumbull Transit System, which should start here the first week of September.
Infante said it will be expanded within 30 days to include the rest of the county.
"The scheduling's not down yet, but we'll get that done soon," he said, noting that plans are to initially operate the system daily during business hours.
Infante said he's already been contacted by residents throughout the county looking to use the system.
Current busing
The only busing until now was provided by Western Reserve Transit Authority, which runs limited fixed routes in Trumbull County.
WRTA and city officials have battled for more than a year about the program. WRTA contended there was no need for a new system because that agency provided service, but local governments disagreed, saying the current service was not sufficient.
The fight dragged on for months, starting with a bid protest filed by WRTA late last year.
The issue was sent to the FTA, which ruled Niles officials should decide the outcome.
WRTA appealed, but the FTA last month found "no issues that require FTA to substitute its judgment for that of [Niles]" and dismissed the protest.
Community Busing was the sole bidder on the program.
How it works
NTTS will allow customers to call for a ride from home and back instead of waiting at a designated stop.
Cost to participating communities -- which pledged $1 per resident to fund the program -- will be $1.50 for a one-way trip for seniors, the disabled and children ages 2 to 12, and $3 for the general public. Niles, Cortland, Howland, Liberty, McDonald, Vienna and Weathersfield have signed on.
Once the service expands, Infante said, the cost for those from nonparticipating communities will be $3 for seniors, the disabled and children and $6 for the general public.
slshaulis@vindy.com