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BENWOOD - Benwood officials are looking into whether it was legal for the Ohio Valley Regional Transportation Authority board to decrease the frequency of bus service in their city.

Instead of every 30 minutes, starting Monday OVRTA buses are expected to make hourly stops in Benwood. The change came about after the board on April 21 approved two new routes - one to The Highlands near Triadelphia and another to Moundsville. The new routes are also expected to begin Monday. Since there are no new additional levy dollars to pay for the Moundsville route, the changes were made to existing service in Benwood, McMechen and Warwood.

During the vote, Benwood Mayor Ed Kuca, who also is a member of the OVRTA board, voiced strong opposition to the changes. But he was outvoted. Kuca said residents originally voted in favor of the tax levy with the understanding they would receive a certain level of bus service.

On Monday, Kuca said the city's solicitor, Eric Gordon, is looking into the legality of the board decreasing Benwood's service.

"I'm upset the board voted that way," Kuca said Monday. "It's misleading to our voters who voted for the levy and felt the schedule would stay that way."

Gordon could not be reached Monday for comment.

While sitting in a Benwood bus shelter Monday afternoon, McMechen resident Mike Blake said changes to the Benwood route would not impact his day much.

"I take one in the morning and one in the evening," said Blake, who works at a nearby Exxon gas station.

"They could use more of these shelters into Benwood and McMechen," he added.

To offset the cost of the new Highlands route, frequency of service will be reduced on the North Park/Wheeling Heights route and the Wheeling Island route.

''We're starting to hand out schedules, and we're going to modify the Web site,'' said Tom Hvizdos, OVRTA director, last week.

He noted the bus company's Web site - www.ovrta.org - will soon reflect changes to existing schedules, along with the new routes.

According to copies of the new routes provided by OVRTA board member Charles Ballouz, the Moundsville route will run 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Moundsville bus route will begin at the Capitol Music Hall in downtown Wheeling and follow the Benwood/McMechen route to 21st Street in McMechen before heading south to Moundsville. It will include a stop at Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale. Moundsville stops will be at Wal-Mart, Save-A-Lot plaza, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources office and Kroger. The bus, which will make stops while traveling both north and south, will stop at Reynolds Memorial Hospital before heading back to the McMechen/Benwood route.

The Moundsville service will cost an estimated $137,300 a year. Roundtrip is 120 minutes.

The Highlands route will operate eight hours a day, between 8:15 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Roundtrip is 90 minutes. The estimated yearly cost will be $144,500.

It will start at the Capitol Music Hall and make stops at 16th and Market streets, Glenwood, Edgington Lane, Elm Grove, Wal-Mart, Old Navy, Target and Cabela's before heading back to Wheeling.

All OVRTA routes, including the new ones, are expected to be re-evaluated by Hvizdos and the board in January.