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Transportation options abound for racino guests
By Kalea Hall
AUSTINTOWN
Bus, car, shuttle and cab are some options for getting to Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course this opening day and for the start of the racing season Nov. 24.
A limo might be the choice for planning special occasions.
“We are excited for the racino coming,” said Mark Bagnoli, owner of FAB Limousines and FAB-U-LESS Tours. “It has generated a lot of work for people here.”
Bagnoli doesn’t think his limo business will see as much impact on a daily basis as the cab business will. He is considering how his tour-bus company will be affected.
“I will have to let you know in a couple of months,” Bagnoli said.
He now runs tours to casinos in Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Erie, Pa. He will wait and see what demand there is to go to the Austintown racino.
April Martin, owner of Fab Cab, said she is developing a possible central location to pick up racino patrons. Fab Cab operates two vans, an Envoy and a 10-passenger vehicle at $2 a mile.
“We are planning on running from the racino back and fourth from Youngs-town,” Martin said.
The Ohio Lottery Commission on Tuesday approved Hollywood Gaming’s full operating license for its video lottery terminals. The racino had been operating under a temporary license since June 11.
The racino will offer shuttle services to the adjacent hotels and truck stops 24/7 starting today through Sunday and from 2 p.m. to midnight Sept. 22 through Oct.1 daily. The shuttles also will be on call 24/7. Shuttle hours after Oct. 1 have to be determined.
For those using the Western Reserve Transit Authority, racino officials are looking at that option now.
“We are concerned about the egress and ingress from them turning around,” said Scott Frost, marketing director.
Logistically if the buses are able to get in and out, then they will, he said.
WRTA is looking at altering a route and some other options for the racino, said its executive director, James Ferraro.
“We are planning on getting out there, and we want to give everyone an opportunity to get out there,” Ferraro said. “I am hoping that the Austintown trustees will be able to help us.”
His concern is the lengthy driveway that leads to the racino doors.
Right now there are the Austintown loop and the Steel Route offered by WRTA to get to Austintown.
“If, in fact, the need becomes strong enough, we are thinking of an express route,” Ferraro said. “If the interest in it warrants it. It is very hard to tell [now]. We will find out.”
The No. 1 concern of Austintown Police Chief Robert Gavalier is traffic coming in and out of the racino.
Austintown police met with the Ohio Department of Transportation to talk about how to regulate traffic on state Route 46.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol will monitor traffic coming off Interstate 80, which leads directly to Route 46.
“Our main concern is we don’t want [the traffic] to get backed up on the interstate,” said Sgt. Bret Henderson of the Canfield patrol post. “That is our primary focus — that the traffic is able to exit [Interstate 80] and get on Route 46.”
There will be units at the bottom of the interstate ramps and at the intersections on Route 46, Henderson said.
Hollywood Gaming expects to see an estimated 5,000 people daily. General Manager Mike Galle said the busy times during the week are from 6 to 8 p.m., and 4 p.m. to midnight on the weekends.
“We are partnered with everyone out there to make sure everything goes well on the opening,” said Brent Kovacs, ODOT district 4 spokesperson.