WRTA Transports More Riders this Summer
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Ridership for the Western Reserve Transit Authority rose over the summer and September is already trending upward as well, reports acting director Marianne Vaughn.
In June, the rider volume was up 2% from last year, while July and August were up 6% and 7%, respectively.
Bolstering September’s figures was Free-4-All Friday, held Sept. 14. That day, the bus service saw 7,210 riders, nearly 1,500 more than average. On the eight business days before Free-4-All Friday, ridership was up 320 per day.
“More Mahoning Valley residents are taking advantage of reliable, convenient WRTA bus transportation,” Vaughn said in a release. “We recently doubled the number of trips on our 28-Warren Express route. And the addition of the myStop mobile service earlier this year, which allows riders to track their buses in real time via a smartphone app, has made riding WRTA easier than ever before.”
The increase in ridership follows a downturn in the first quarter. WRTA’s ridership was down 4.5%, before leveling off in April and May.
The drop follows a nationwide trend, according to the American Public Transit Association. The trade organization reported national bus trips were down 5.2% nationally.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
