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Public transportation remains important to our region's future. A levy coming up in May to keep the buses rolling in Wheeling deserves the public's support -- particularly now that the Ohio Valley Regional Transportation Authority is scheduling runs to where the public needs to go, such as shopping venues and the West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, instead of simply running buses in circles.
"This levy has been approved by the voters of Wheeling, Benwood, McMechen and Bethlehem for over 30 years or longer," Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron, also an OVRTA board member, said. "It provides a very significant part of the transit authority's operating budget and thus, provides a local match for federal transportation funds."
The levy rate expected to be on the ballot in May will be the same as it is today, meaning your taxes will not increase. The cost to operate the buses remains a good deal for residents of our region.
OVRTA has made great strides in the past few years in sending buses where they're needed today as opposed to continuing to follow the route that worked 30 years ago. That has helped to reinvigorate ridership and provide a path toward the future for public transportation in our region. A growing city needs public transportation. Support the levy.