Workmanship was problem at WRTA lot

By Ashley Luthern

aluthern@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Testing shows that workmanship — not the concrete itself — created the problems on the newly poured Federal Station east parking lot, says a local engineer.

The Western Reserve Transit Authority completed a repaving project of the Federal Station parking lot, plaza and decorative concrete dividers in June but asked for further study after observing light marks on the concrete surface and water puddling.

Michael Fagan of Olsavsky Jaminet Architects of Youngstown, which does design work for WRTA, and Kurt Seidler of Seidler Engineer Inc. presented the test results Thursday to the WRTA Board of Trustees.

“The concrete is good. ... It boils down to workmanship,” Fagan said.

Jim Santini Builder Inc. of Leetonia did the paving, and Santini has pledged to remove and replace concrete in the trouble spots, Fagan said.

The entire paving project cost about $660,000, and the transit authority has held back $270,000 on the project, said WRTA Executive Director James Ferraro. There is a warranty and bond on the project, too, Ferraro said.

But with the weather turning cold, Fagan said he doesn’t think the permanent repairs can be finished this year.

WRTA Trustee Lee Kohler agreed. “I’m afraid we’ll create a bigger problem if we open it up,” he said.

Kohler suggested carving small French drains into the concrete as a temporary fix. The drains could minimize the puddles of water that will freeze during the winter.

The east parking lot remains closed to buses.

In other business, Ferraro reported that ridership for September was up at 117,881 this year compared with about 113,000 in September 2010. Ferraro said he expects total 2011 ridership to top 1.3 million. The final number of riders totaled 1,261,827 in 2010, an increase from 1,027,196 in 2009.

The new Youngstown-Warren route that began Sept. 12 is serving about 130 riders daily, said WRTA Director of Transportation Tom Nugen.

Buses make six trips each day on a route that travels near the Eastwood Mall, Warren’s Courthouse Square, Eastern Gateway Community College, Trumbull Memorial Hospital and a housing development on Lane Avenue,

That route is funded by a one-time $574,052 Job Access Reverse Commute grant.