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While acknowledging they are in a "crisis" situation, members of the Weirton Transit Corp. Board of Trustees authorized their manager to look into some potential options Monday, with the hope of avoiding a short-term shutdown, including an offer of temporary assistance from a neighboring public transit provider.
More than 30 residents were in attendance as the WTC convened in a special meeting in the council chambers of the Weirton Municipal Building Monday night, with those who spoke asking the board to find a way to keep the bus service going, despite some long-standing financial issues.
Following a one-hour closed-door session, the board authorized Transit Manager Phil Gilcrest to evaluate all of WTC's financial options pertaining to revenue and grant funding opportunities to be put toward operations, as well as an offer of temporary assistance brought Monday by representatives of Steel Valley Regional Transit Authority. Details of the SVRTA offer were discussed in the executive session and not made public.
Gilcrest also had proposed a series of route reductions, which he claimed would still need almost $35,000 to operate, to include running only one regular route in the weekday mornings, and one regular route in the afternoons, two demand routes in the mornings, and one demand route in the afternoons and cutting out the Saturday loop route, but keeping a demand route.
A handful of those in attendance addressed the board, asking them to find a way to keep the buses on the roads.
Michelle Masters said she was speaking on behalf of many of the residents of the Freedom Place and Overbrook Towers apartments, noting many of them don't have their own vehicles, and rely on WTC bus services to get to their medical appointments, go grocery shopping or access other needs.
"A lot of them are stressed. They're upset," she said of the potential shutdown. "They're looking at being shut-ins."
Others, such as resident Terry Bennett, noted there is no grocery store in Weirton's downtown, and some cannot afford an estimated $20 one-way fare with a taxi service.
Weirton Transit's next regular board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. June 14.