Geauga County residents who have been depending on Geauga Transit buses for rides to work every day won’t have to schedule daily pickup anymore.
Geauga County residents who have been depending on Geauga Transit buses for rides to work every day won’t have to schedule daily pickup anymore.
Through the new Wheels to Work program, daily bus routes connecting Middlefield and Chardon, and one along U.S. Route 422 will link non-driving residents to their jobs.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for W2W at the county transit yard on Merritt Road in Claridon Township launched the program Oct. 10 with a number of Geauga Transit employees, elected officials, balloons and the newest bus in attendance.
JoAnna Santilli, Geauga Transit director, told the audience the program is creating a stir among her customers.
“I have one gentleman who has been riding with us for approximately 30 years,” she said.
He has been making that phone call every day to ensure he has a way into work and he is only one of many who is delighted with the new system, Santilli said.
Geauga County Commissioner Jim Dvorak said soon after he became a commissioner six years ago, he met with Lake County representatives “over a cup of coffee” to discuss various ways the two counties could collaborate.
W2W is an example of the counties working together.
“Everything grows with collaboration,” he said.
The W2W program is receiving funding from the recently-created Ohio Department of Transportation Workforce Mobility program, according to a press release from Geauga Transit, which is partnering with Laketran through a five-year contract, said Ben Capelle, Laketran CEO.
“We’re going to focus on the Amish,” Capelle said during the ceremony, adding the collaboration leading to the grant between the agencies and county commissioners started in 2021.
The W2W program will “get Geauga Transit to the next level and meet their customers’ needs,” he said.
Capelle said the $1.78 million infrastructure investment grant was created by a special set of funds from the governor’s office to operate the service and help buy up to nine new propane-fueled buses for the program.
Geauga Transit purchased the propane-fueled Terra Transit buses from TESCO Bus of Oregon, Ohio. The agency anticipates the buses will provide 35% fuel savings, according to the press release.
The W2W program has only been in operation a few weeks, but the number of people using the buses on the new collection routes has increased with an average of seven or eight riders in each of the buses, Capelle said.
Geauga Transit expects to hire four new employees as word gets around and demand for the service rises, he said.
The cost for a ride has not gone up and a regular rider can buy a pass to his or her workplace to avoid paying for every pickup, he said.
“We want to get as many people to work as possible,” he said.
Another route in the Chester-Russell township area of northwest Geauga is under consideration, officials said.
Also present to congratulate Geauga Transit on its program were Ohio Sen. Sandra O’Brien, State Rep. Steve Demetriou and Katie Burger from the office of U.S. Congressman David Joyce.
TESCO sponsored the event and a lunch for participants.
