Trending
WHEELING - Voters in Wheeling, Bethlehem and Benwood will decide May 14 whether or not to keep the buses rolling in the Ohio Valley.
The Ohio Valley Regional Transportation Authority has on the primary election ballot in these communities a renewal of its current levy. The levy has been in existence since 1976, when OVRTA became a public entity, explained Lisa Weishar, executive director of OVRTA and the East Ohio Regional Transportation Authority.
She reported the levy generated for OVRTA $1,669,739 in Wheeling in 2023; $149,744 in Benwood; and $132,517 in Bethlehem. Together, this money totals $1,952,000 of OVRTA's $4 million annual budget, according to Weishar.
Residents in the city of McMechen also contribute to the levy, but officials there missed getting their renewal on the ballot for the primary election, according to Weishar. Voters in that community are expected to consider their levy with the November general election.
Money generated by the levy helps to pay employee wages and benefits. It also is meant to cover the cost of fuel, repair parts and utilities, she noted.
"Having a bus company in the community is vital, and it's a safe service," Weishar said. "A person never knows when their car may break down, or they may have to take the bus."
Public buses "give independence" to those in the community in need of transportation. Most often these are senior citizens or teenagers.
OVRTA has a total of 22 vehicles on hand, but on a daily basis it operates 14 buses and two vans, Weishar explained.
The buses pick people up and drop them off at designated bus stops, while vans accommodate those with disabilities who cannot make it to the bus stop by coming to their home. This is required under Americans With Disability Act law, she continued.
"Some people are blind or in wheelchairs and they cannot walk to the bus stop," Weishar explained. "Also it is there for people who have a mental disability."
In 2023, 312,270 people rode OVRTA buses, and another 6,292 called for van trips, according to information provided by Weishar.
OVRTA also is soon going to be starting regular trips to Moundsville from Wheeling Monday through Saturday.
Beginning May 6, buses will leave the Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Transportation Center on Main Street in downtown Wheeling at 7:45 a.m. for Moundsville and return 90 minutes later, Weishar said. The last Moundsville bus will return to Wheeling at 3:45 p.m., so that commuters can make connections with other buses in the system to make it home.
The Moundsville route is a pilot program that will continue until Nov. 2.
Voters in the general election on Nov. 5 then will see an issue on their ballots that, if approved, would establish the route as a permanent one for OVRTA, Weishar added.