Council acts to take part in Niles transit system

The legislation will need two more readings before passage.
By JOHN W.GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- City council members are considering adding additional public transportation services for residents.
Council members, in a special meeting Friday, gave first reading to an ordinance that would authorize the service director to enter into a contract with the city of Niles for Girard to participate in the Niles-Trumbull Transit System program. The ordinance will need two more readings before it is approved or denied by council.
Councilman Michael Costarella said the city would be charged 50 cents per resident or roughly 5,600 to join the system. Residents using the service would pay 2 per one-way trip.
"This is a tremendous service we could add to the community at a reasonable cost to us and a reasonable cost to the consumer," he said.
The city currently has a busing a system for seniors only that operates Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The current system also has been operating Tuesday and Thursday mornings since November because of an increase in demand.
Senior citizen busing
Costarella said the current busing system is free to the seniors who use it but only travels within the Girard city limits with one weekly trip to the Eastwood Mall. He said the NTTS would be an addition to this service.
"We are not doing a quick change on anyone," said Costarella. "We have a system and will not do away with it unless this other system is better than what we have."
The city spends about 26,000 to operate the current system. The cost is offset by a 7,300 grant from the Area Agency on Aging.
The Niles-Trumbull system, Costarella said, runs daily, travels across the entire county, and can be used by anyone who calls for service a day in advance. Costarella said the city may look at supplementing senior rides on the bus should the current city system be discontinued.
jgoodwin@vindy.com