Public transportation system begins after a delay of 10 years

Federal funding will help link the new system to the regional airport.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- After more than a decade of research, delays and funding searches, the Niles-Trumbull Transit System got rolling Monday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and plenty of fanfare.
The demand-response public transportation system started its one-year pilot program after words of thanks and rounds of applause from local politicos who fought for the service.
The brainchild of Niles Mayor Ralph A. Infante, NTTS is operating in Niles, Liberty, Howland, Cortland, McDonald, Vienna and Weathersfield now and will expand to cover all areas of Trumbull County beginning Oct. 20.
Community Bus Services of Youngstown operates the system.
"This is a great day for Trumbull County," Infante said during the ceremony's opening remarks. "We will now have busing for our residents, for our elderly, for people with medical needs."
Monday's ceremony was attended by representatives from the participating communities, as well as county commissioners and state and federal legislators, all heralding the new service and congratulating Infante and other city officials for their perseverance with the project.
10 years in the making
Infante's quest started more than 10 years ago when he and other local officials visited Lake County in an effort to model public transportation here after LAKETRAN, another demand-response system.
Statewide budget cuts put the plan on hold for a number of years, and when the drive started again in full force, it came under fire from Western Reserve Transit Authority, which operates a fixed-route service in Youngstown and portions of Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
WRTA contended the new service was not needed, since transportation was already provided to sections of Trumbull County.
The fight, which dragged on for more than a year, made it all the way to the Federal Transit Authority in Chicago, which ruled WRTA had no valid arguments against NTTS.
How it works
With the kickoff of NTTS, riders will be able to schedule pickup and delivery from their home or business to another destination for a fee.
Estimates are that ridership will be as much as 61,000 in the initial year and could increase by as much as 5 percent a year.
"When we talk about regionalizing this area, this is an outstanding example," said Darlene St. George, administrator for Howland Township and a longtime proponent of NTTS.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, said the start-up of NTTS is only the beginning of expanded growth and development in the Mahoning Valley.
Airport link
Last week, he said, the U.S. House of Representatives set aside roughly $200,000 in transportation funding to tie the new busing system to Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna.
The new transportation system should help attract development to that area, he said, since it could get passengers to the airport for outgoing flights.
"This just shows when you work together, you can have these kinds of successes," he said.
For information, or to schedule a ride with NTTS, call (330) 369-2600 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays.
slshaulis@vindy.com