McMECHEN - It was standing room only for McMechen bus passengers traveling to Moundsville on Monday - the first public transit service to the Marshall County community in more than 31 years.
Meanwhile, a new Highlands route also began Monday with six passengers seen on a bus arriving at the Ohio County shopping area at about 10:30 a.m. The Highlands bus will operate eight hours a day, between 8:15 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Round trip is 90 minutes.
The Highlands route starts at the Capitol Music Hall and makes stops at 16th and Market streets, Glenwood, Edgington Lane, Elm Grove, Wal-Mart, Old Navy, Target and Cabela's before heading back to Wheeling.
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Some riders have to stand as the first bus from McMechen travels to Glen Dale and Moundsville.
The Moundsville bus left from the Capitol Music Hall at 8:15 a.m., with 12 passengers and by the time the bus departed McMechen it had 30 passengers, six of whom had to stand because there were no more seats available.
After making a stop at Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale, the next drop-off point was at Moundsville Wal-Mart which proved to be the most popular destination as 17 people got off there. Thirteen of those passengers headed to Wal-Mart while four others were seen walking toward the adjacent Burger King.
The next stop was at the Busy Beaver Plaza where six individuals got off the bus. The bus continued to TeleTech Drive in south Moundsville, and stopped at the West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, before stopping in front of the Moundsville Food and Drug for what was slated to be a 10-minute layover.
However, for this maiden voyage it became a six-minute stop as the bus arrived four minutes late.
Thomas Hvizdos, OVRTA executive director, who also rode the bus, was very pleased not only that it was standing room only, but also that the bus was able to make the run and only be four minutes behind schedule.
Among those taking a round-trip bus ride were McMechen Council members Penny Goodwin, who is now the city's representative on the OVRTA board; Charlie Pyle, former councilman and former OVRTA; board member Dave Kobasko; and longtime city resident George Bilich.
Kobasko, who served on council from 2002 until just recently when he was appointed as the city's fire chief, said he and the others rode the bus in support of the effort to bring back bus service to Glen Dale and McMechen.
Kobasko said he was a substitute bus driver for OVRTA in 2004 and 2005, and that when he drove the McMechen to Warwood route, many residents, mainly senior citizens, questioned him about why the bus didn't go to Glen Dale and Moundsville. It was because of this he asked the mayor of the city of McMechen, (first Kenny Robbins and then Paul Maxwell) who served on the OVRTA board to try and have bus service extended. When current Mayor Mike Gracik assumed office, he appointed Kobasko to the board, and he continued his efforts to provide bus service southward beyond McMechen.
Kobasko said he is hopeful that the residents of these two cities will pass levies to keep bus service to these communities, noting that it would be very beneficial financially, especially to Moundsville.