WRTA Holiday Lights Campaign Honors Organizations That Light Up the Valley

This holiday season, WRTA is once again putting the spotlight on organizations that Light Up the Valley all year long with the 2022 Holiday Lights Campaign!

Nominations are now being accepted, awards will be presented at a special event November 15th. The honored organizations will be featured in TV, press, social media, and signs on WRTA buses through the end of the year.

CO-CHAIRS ANNOUNCED

This year, WRTA asked three community leaders who have been acknowledged for good work that has benefited the Valley to help produce the campaign as co-chairpeople.  The event co-chairs are:

• Vince Brancaccio — Executive Director, Help Network of NEO (Suicide/Crisis Hotline)

• Barb Ewing — CEO, Youngstown Business Incubator

• Sydney Metzel— CMO, New Day Recovery/On-Demand Healthcare

HOW TO NOMINATE YOUR ORGANIZATION OR OTHERS

To nominate your own organization or an organization that you can testify has done exceptional work in the Valley, just complete the short form below before 5pm on October 20, 2022. Nominate your favorite just once, more nominations do not help chances of selection.

Three Categories:

This year the nominations are divided into three categories (1) Non-profit, (2) public agencies (e.g. The Public Library) and (3) private companies who do good works

Timeline:

• Nominations Accepted until 5pm on October 20, 2022
• Award Winners announced and contacted on November 1, 2022
• Kickoff and award presentation on 10:30am on Tuesday, November 15, 2022
• Location: Concept Studio in Downtown Youngstown

Fill out the form below to nominate your organization

Thank you for submitting your Holiday Lights nominations. Winners will be announced and contacted soon. Please check our website and social media for a list of the winners.

All Star Schools Campaign Highlights Mahoning County High Schools

As the 2022-2023 school year starts, WRTA is seeking to recognize the contributions of secondary schools in Mahoning County with a new campaign, “All Star Schools”.

“We call them ‘All Star Schools’ because of the great job they do as they educate, inspire and develop our next generation of community leaders.” said Dean Harris, Executive Director of WRTA “These high schools give the Valley a lift too.”

All through September, WRTA will be highlighting local high schools in TV commercials, social media, on buses and even on the giant digital signs at Federal Station. “We want the community to know how our local schools add value and improve the lives of your students, their families and their community” Harris added.

Individual Featured Schools

All Mahoning County High Schools will be mentioned in the All Star Schools campaign. High Schools can also be highlighted individually in TV and social media messages if they wish and point out the things that make their school special. The individual messages cane even feature students, teachers and administration.

All Mahoning County high schools are mentioned in the All Star Schools campaign.  All schools were also offered the opportunity to be highlighted individually in TV and social media messages to point out the things that make their school special. 

Six schools responded and decided to participate at the individual level – Jackson-Milton High School, Boardman High School, Cardinal Mooney High School, Ursuline High School, West Branch High School, and Youngstown Rayen Early College High School.

Here are some highlights about each school that are featured in tv spots and social media — 

JACKSON-MILTON HIGH SCHOOL

Students receive individual attention from a dedicated faculty at Jackson-Milton High School and also has a focus on strong staff-parent communication. This all star school promotes Music and Art courses but Physical Education and Technology are also priorities.  Jackson-Milton is an all star high school with college-level course offerings in a beautiful rural setting.

Boardman High School

With a long history of excellence, Boardman High School is recognized for its rigorous academics, extensive and award-winning arts programs and competitive athletics. Boardman is an all star high school offering new career-focused programs for students and inviting the community to join the Spartan Tradition by visiting their outstanding venues.

Cardinal Mooney High School 

Students are set-up for success in a diverse learning environment at Cardinal Mooney High School with college prep courses, daily prayer and regular masses, and more than 26 varsity sports offered. Cardinal Mooney is an all star high school that maintains excellence in its academic, spiritual and extra-curricular traditions.

Ursuline High School 

Ursuline High School is a Catholic school where students benefit from active participation in the Sacraments, service projects and rigorous college prep curriculum. Ursuline is an all star high school that offers 17 championship caliber athletic programs and has professional and dedicated staff that go above and beyond the call of duty .

West Branch High School

Outstanding academic programs are offered at West Branch High School, including AP classes, Honors, STEM, Engineering, Landscaping and many more. West Branch is an all star high school that also offers 17 varsity athletic teams and 20 activities and clubs, to ensure students can be a part of West Branch in whatever way fits them best.

Youngstown Rayen Early College High School 

Youngstown Rayen Early College High School  is an academic advancement program that removes barriers for individuals so that they are college and career ready. Youngstown Rayen is an all star high school that follows a design where scholars can simultaneously earn a high school diploma and a degree upon high school graduation.

Watch for the All Star High School Campaign on TV, social media, Federal Station and WRTA buses and help us highlight the contributions of secondary schools for students and our community.

Fixed Route Changes Coming June 5

WRTA has made improvements to seven of its Fixed Routes to better serve the community. These routes include:

• 4-Steel
• 11-Cornersburg
• 14-Mosier
• 27-Austintown Loop
• 71-North
• 73-East
• 74-Elm.

In addition to adjusting these schedules, Fixed Routes 72-Southwest and 75-Northwest will be suspended. The changes to these routes will take effect on June 5, 2022.

The new maps and schedules for the seven Fixed Routes can be found below —

4-Steel

 

11-Cornersburg

14-Mosier

27-Austintown Loop

71-North

73-East

74-Elm

These schedule changes will be reflected in the Maps & Schedules section of the WRTA website and on the Mystop Mobile app.

Fire Causes Interruption In WRTA Service

A fire on Sunday morning in the WRTA bus garage required additional maintenance time to ensure all of the buses are clean and odorless and that has caused some service interruptions.

Warren service is cancelled through Wednesday, May 25 and will return on Thursday, May 26.

The cancelled routes are:, #70 Southeast, #71 North, #72 Southwest, #73 East, #74 Elm Rd. Warren, #75 Northwest and #76 North Jackson Express.

Western Reserve Transit Authority is recommending riders make sure the schedule of the bus they ride has not been modified before they go to the bus stop today.  

“We’d strongly recommend riders check the MyStop Mobile app for updates. But they can also call or check our website just to be sure.” said Harris.

The MyStop mobile app can be downloaded for free in the Apple and Google Play app stores.  The WRTA office phone is 330-744-8431 and the website can be found at WRTAonline.com.

Face Masks No Longer Required

In accordance with TSA no longer enforcing the federal face mask mandate —  effective immediately, face masks/coverings are no longer required on WRTA buses. Riders may continue to wear face masks if they choose to do so.

The CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.

For more information, visit the TSA website.

Businesses Selected for “Give Local Small Business a Lift” Campaign

Twelve businesses from Youngstown, Boardman, Austintown and Campbell were chosen to be part of the “Give Local Small Business a Lift” Campaign.

Nominate Your Business for the “Give Local Small Business a Lift” Campaign

WRTA and the Business Journal are asking you to “Get on the Bus! And Give Local Small Business a Lift!”

Starting with National Small Business Week on May 1, WRTA and the Business Journal will be promoting and sharing the stories of twelve local small businesses on social media, TV, WRTA bus signs and the digital sign above Federal Street station. The twelve selected businesses will also be featured on BusinessJournalDaily.com and on WRTA’s website.

As a special bonus, one of the twelve businesses will also win a $3,000 TV advertising campaign on WKBN TV27.

Ready to Nominate Your Business?

To qualify for consideration, the small business must be on or very close to a WRTA Fixed Route (large bus route). Fixed Routes are on the major roads in Youngstown and the surrounding suburbs, such as Market St., Mahoning Ave., Belmont Ave., and others. There are more than 30 Fixed Routes all over the county. To determine if your business is on a Fixed Route, check the WRTA route maps and descriptions here. 

Once you have verified that your business qualifies, fill out the form below!

Deadline to nominate your business is Wednesday, March 30. The businesses selected will be notified by email and announced in this space and on social media.

Following our request, WRTA has received many nominations for businesses who would like to be a part of this campaign. Watch for our forthcoming announcement of the small businesses that have been chosen.

Front-Door Boarding Resumes February 28

Starting Monday, February 28, riders will once again be able to board WRTA’s big buses through the front doors. Riders boarding Fixed Route buses have been required to board from only the rear doors since 2020, due to social distancing requirements.

FACE MASKS STILL A MUST

Riders are still required to wear face masks on all WRTA buses. According to TSA, the face mask policy for public transportation has been extended through April 18, 2022.

Severe Winter Weather May Cause Delays

WRTA riders should be aware of possible service delays on Thursday, February 3 and Friday, February 4 due to a severe winter weather alert. Further delay updates or cancellations can be found on our website and social media platforms.

Thank you for your patience.

New Routes in Warren Begin December 6

Starting Monday, December 6, WRTA will be reinstating Fixed Route service in Warren with all new routes and schedules.

The schedule changes will be reflected in the myStop Mobile app for Apple and Android smartphones.