Agreement will benefit transit system, schools

More riders could mean more funding from the Federal Transit Authority.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Officials who oversee a countywide busing system say an agreement between the Niles-Trumbull Transit System and area school superintendents will benefit both sides.
Mark Hess, Niles engineer and grants coordinator, said the Trumbull County Educational Service Center and NTTS will enter a pact that provides transportation for high school students to work or job training.
"We can transport up to 30 students, but we will start with about 20," Hess said.
The agreement states that NTTS buses, which are operated by Community Bus Services, will pick up students at their home schools and take them to their job or training sessions, then return them to school. Hess said TCESC will pay a subscription rate of $18 per trip each month for the service. Students will receive vouchers to ride.
"It's good for the educational service center, because we are guaranteeing we can handle the transportation for them without them having to call every day and arrange for the rides," Hess said.
More riders
The boon for the transit system is increased ridership and income from the prepaid fares, Hess said. More riders could mean more funding for the system from the Federal Transit Authority.
"The FTA granted us an extension until Nov. 30 for our funding application," he said, noting Niles -- which primarily oversees NTTS' operations -- still has funding left from the previous grant.
Rider subscription under the new agreement between the transit system and educational service center will be included in the next application to the FTA, Hess said.
The agreement will not, however, affect services already provided to users of the transit system, Hess noted.
NTTS is a demand-response busing system throughout Trumbull County. Several communities -- such as Cortland, Howland and Vienna -- pay $1 per resident for riders in those areas to pay lower fares. The system, however, is available to any resident in Trumbull County.
Hess said that because of FTA regulations, the pact between the transit system and the educational service center cannot account for more than 50 percent of the total ridership.
"We have to avoid giving a preference for subscription services," he said.
Can't be exclusive
And while the agreement states NTTS will serve students for 178 days each year, the system cannot become a service exclusive to the school students, Hess said.
The pact will be presented to Niles' board of control -- which includes the mayor, auditor and safety and service directors -- who can sign on behalf of NTTS. The agreement has already been signed by superintendents of Trumbull County, Hess said.
Once both sides sign the agreement, officials from TCESC will identify students who will use the transportation and submit the names and times to Community Bus Services officials for scheduling. Then the service will begin.
slshaulis@vindy.com