WAYNE CO., Ohio — Wayne County Transit will cease operations on Aug. 31, and operators of the transit service said budget and sustainability concerns are the reasons behind the end of service.
"The needs of a rural transportation system are somewhat unique," James Fox, CEO and president of Community Action Wayne/Medina, said. "You're looking at an almost 560 square mile area in Wayne County. That can be really challenging to figure out what system makes the most sense."
In 2023, over $1.7 million was spent on the transit service. That same year, it provided over 20,000 rides to the community, local institutions and individual riders.
One of those individual riders is Autumn Shuring. She uses the service to get to work every day. For wheelchair-bound Shuring, it gives her a sense of independence. She's upset that it could be taken away once the transit service ends.
"How can you say the service is ending without a solution in place?" she said. "Surely they would've given us a solution before just telling us, 'Sorry guys! You're out of luck. I guess you're going to have to find another way to get to work.'"
A new transit system is on the way. The City of Wooster will become the holder of the federal and state grants that were used for Wayne County Transit. From there, city and county leaders will collaborate on a new system that both the city and county can use. This transit system, though, will not be up and running until a year from now.
The county will hold two public meetings this week for comments and concerns.
- 11AM – 1PM Thursday, July 18th, 2024 @ Bruch Hall, First Presbyterian Church of Wooster (621 College Ave., Wooster, OH 44691)
- 5PM – 7PM Thursday, July 18th, 2024 @ Orrville Public Library (230 North Main St., Orrville, OH 44667)
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