TRUMBULL COUNTY Weathersfield to discuss rejoining transit system

A trustee cited low ridership as a reason the township isn't in the system.
MINERAL RIDGE -- Weathersfield Township trustees will decide next month whether the township will rejoin the Niles Transit Transportation System.
Weathersfield participated in the transit system by making an $8,700 payment for the township's participation in 2003-04, but ended its affiliation with the system last year.
The payment is based on census figures at a rate of $1 per capita.
The transit authority still picks up township residents, but as a nonparticipating community, residents must pay a higher fee to ride the buses. As of March 1, a $2 ride one way will increase to $8 one-way because of a rate increase put into effect by the transit system board.
Trustees will discuss the issue at their caucus at 10 a.m. April 6. Any action will have to take place at their regular meeting at 7 p.m. April 12 .
Niles Mayor Ralph Infante attended the meeting Tuesday to ask trustees to consider rejoining the transit system.
Disgruntled residents
He said township resident Sheldon Funk, who is blind, and other residents have been calling Niles offices to complain about the rate increase.
Funk spoke in support of the system even though he said he has been able to work out another means of transportation. Donna Finnegan, another resident, said both she and her husband are disabled and did not know about the system until just recently. She said they could use it to get to the grocery store because neither she nor her husband can drive.
Trustee John Vogel said there had been low ridership in the township with an average of 12 or 13 riding the bus on a regular basis. He asked if the transit system could consider a smaller buy-in amount for the township's participation.
Infante said that because the program is funded by the Federal Transportation Agency, the system cannot adjust rates.
He noted however, that Cortland had a similar situation of low ridership, and after the transit system sent out a newsletter, ridership has increased "dramatically" there.
The mayor said ridership in all seven participating communities has increased, but the system ran out of time and funds to conduct an advertising campaign in Weathersfield.
He noted it took three years to build the transit system up, adding that it is a "quality of life" issue for senior citizens.