WRTA Bus Stop Removed and Location Changed at Austintown Walmart Location

AUSTINTOWN — At the request of the property owner, the WRTA bus stop located in front of Dollar Tree in near Walmart in Austintown is being removed.

“This is a well-used stop and we hate to inconvenience our passengers, but we don’t own the property. We must comply with the owner’s demand to remove the bus shelter and the stop.” said WRTA Executive Director Dean Harris.

ROUTE CHANGES

The 9-Austintown Route and the 27-Austintown Loop bus will no longer go into the Walmart plaza effective March 18, 2025. WRTA passengers will now be picked up and dropped off on Mahoning Ave near the traffic light at the Walmart entrance.

Passengers will soon see new maps for 9-Austintown and 27-Austintown Loop under “Rider Info” on WRTAonline.com.

FREE FARES CONTINUE!

Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA) is pleased to announce its free fare policy will continue until at least Dec. 31, 2027. Free fares were temporarily instituted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and have since extended each year since then. Valley residents can ride free on any WRTA bus. ##

February Board Meeting Cancelled

Please be advised that the February Board of Trustees Meeting set for Thursday, February 27 at 10:00 a.m. has been cancelled.

Minor Route Changes Take Effect March 9th

Minor changes have been made to WRTA routes to better serve the community. The routes that will be affected are the 1-Elm, 14-Mosier The new turn-by-turn information and updated maps for the Elm and Mosier routes are shown below. These changes will take effect on March 9.

1-ELM

NOTE: The #1-Elm route will no longer service Giant Eagle. However, Wal-Mart has been added to the route. The bus stop at Goldie Rd. and Hadley will be removed.

Outbound

Leave Federal Station heading north
Right on Federal Plz W
Right on Fifth
Right on Commerce St.
Left on Wick (Y.S.U.)
Left on Westbound service rd.
Right on Elm
Right on Thornton
Left on Logan
Left on Gypsy Ln.
Right on Belmont
Right on Colonial
Left on Hadley Ave
Left on Goldie
Right on Belmont
Right into Liberty Plaza (at the traffic light)
Right at the first stop sign
Drop off at the New Bus Stop (across from the Pharmacy)
Right down first aisle (drive heading towards Arby’s)
Right to the stop sign
Left toward traffic light
End of Line

Deadhead

Leave Garage to Union Square Plaza – Follow this route picking up all passengers Left on Mahoning-Left over Spring Common Bridge-Cont on Fifth – Left on Wood – Right on Belmont – Right on Gypsy To Union Square Plaza Set Headsign to 1- Elm – Leave Union Square Plaza

Inbound

Left at the traffic light
Left on Goldie
Right on Hadley Ave
Right on Colonial
Left on Belmont
Left on Gypsy
Right on Elm
Left on Eastbound service rd.
Right on Wick
Right on Commerce
Cont. to Federal Station

14-Mosier

Outbound

Facing South in Federal Station
Right on Federal Plaza West
Right on Fifth Ave
Left on Rayen
Right on Federal St (422)
Right on Wirt
Left on Burlington
Right on Robinwood-Left on Dupont-Right on Dearborn
Left on Beck St – Right on Temple (turns into Davis) – Right on Trumbull
Left on Belmont
Right into Liberty Plaza (at the traffic light)
Right at the first stop sign
Drop off at the New Bus Stop (across from the Pharmacy)
Right down first aisle (drive heading towards Arby’s)
Right to the stop sign
Left toward traffic light
Left into Giant Eagle 2^nd entrance go to stop sign (Drop off and pick up passengers)

Deadhead

Leave garage to Liberty Plaza Follow this route picking up all Passengers Left on Mahoning ‑ Left over Spring Common Bridge – Cont on Fifth – Left on Rayen Right on Belmont – Right into entrance of Liberty Plaza to bus stop Set Head Sign to 14-MOISER Leave Liberty Plaza to Giant Eagle

INBOUND

Leave Giant Eagle
Left at stop sign- go to 1^st entrance
Right on Belmont
Right on Trumbull
Left on Davis
Left on Beck St
Right on Dearborn
Left on Dupont
Right on Robinwood
Left on Burlington
Right on Wirt
Left on Federal St. (422)
Left on Rayen
Right on Fifth Ave.
Left on Commerce
Cont. to Federal Station

Congratulations Valley Valentine Winners

In celebration of Ohio Loves Transit Week and Valentine’s Day, WRTA turned the tables and asked Valley residents, “Who do you love?”. 36 lucky winners were able to answer that question in a big way with a “Valley Valentine.” These graphics are on display on the giant sign at WRTA’s Federal Station through Sunday.

Congratulations to the following winners!

WRTA’s 2024 Annual Report is Now Available

The 2024 Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA) annual report is now available online.

The annual report covers all the important initiatives undertaken by WRTA this past year, including public engagement programs, Autonomous Vehicles, and more.

Last year, WRTA vehicles travelled more than one million, five hundred thousand miles and provided more than TWO MILLION PASSENGER TRIPS.

Click here to view the 2024 Annual Report

Show Your Love With Valley Valentines

Ohio Loves Transit Week, a campaign of the Ohio Public Transit Association, is the same week as Valentine’s Day, so WRTA is celebrating by turning the tables and asking Valley residents “Who do you love?” You will be able to answer that question in a big way with a “Valley Valentine.”

A dozen lucky Valentines who fill out the form below, indicating to whom they want to send their love, will have a huge Valentine with their names created and shown on the giant video display that looms 35 feet above Federal Station in downtown Youngstown. In addition, the winning Valentines will be shared on WRTA’s website, social media, and in a TV spot.

To be eligible to have your Valley Valentine shown on our Federal Station video display, fill out and submit the form below. 12 Valley Valentines will be chosen in a random drawing. Only one entry per person is permitted.

The deadline to enter is Monday, February 3. Winners will be announced and contacted on Tuesday, February 4.

Be sure to indicate which one of the four designs you would like to use for your Valentine.

DESIGN A

DESIGN B

DESIGN C

DESIGN D

Fill out the form below!

We have received an overwhelming amount of responses. Thank you to all who participated! 36 winners will be chosen in a random drawing, and if your Valley Valentine is picked, you will be contacted directly on February 4 via email. Thank you!

WRTA Hires Jordan Pennell as External Affairs Director

Jordan Pennell, former Special Projects Coordinator/Representative for U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown was hired to fill the newly created position of External Affairs Director at Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA).

Pennell is lifelong Youngstown-area resident and graduate of Youngstown State University. Prior to working in Brown’s office, Pennell was a legislative aide to State Senator (now Judge) Joe Schiavoni.

“Jordan’s decade-long experience at both the state and federal government levels will be a great help to us.” said Dean Harris, WRTA Executive Director. “Now we’ll have another voice advocating for public transportation causes in the Valley. Jordan’s relationships and his knowledge of how things work will help ensure our participation in many more projects and funding that benefit our residents and our local economy.”

“WRTA has a great reputation among state and federal government officials.” said Pennell. “WRTA, led by Dean Harris, is seen as being on the forefront of progress in almost every area of public transportation in Ohio and the U.S. I’m looking forward to helping WRTA and the Valley continue moving forward.”

OEPA Grant for Electric Buses Helps WRTA Roll Into Zero-Emission Future

Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA) was notified by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) that its proposal for the Diesel Emission Reduction Grant (DERG) was accepted.

This DERG Grant will provide WRTA $1,848,023 in funding for 75% of the cost to replace two older diesel-powered transit buses that are past their useful life with two buses (model year 2027 or newer) that are electric-powered.

“This is a win for the environment because as older buses reach the end of their useful life and are retired, we can replace them with zero-emission vehicles,” says Dean Harris, WRTA Executive Director. “It’s also a win for local taxpayers because the state/federal grant covers 75% of the replacement cost.”

WRTA has been actively working towards a sustainable, zero-emission future with the recent addition of electric-powered staff vehicles and battery-electric LTVs.

The DERG program supports public transit systems serving Ohio counties for the early retirement and replacement of older diesel transit buses. WRTA has been proactive in moving toward environmentally conscious transportation and reducing its carbon footprint.

2024 Holiday Lights Honorees Announced

Congratulations to the twelve local non-profits that were chosen as the 2024 Holiday Lights Honorees! Thank you for lighting up the Valley all year long with your good works.

The 2024 Holiday Lights Honorees are:

Clover Recycling
Dylan’s House
Olivia’s Grace
Sight for All United
Friends of Fido
Yellow Brick Place
United Returning Citizens
Limitless Dance Co.
Mahoning County Public Special Olympics
Veterans Haven
DIVA Donations
Youngstown Lions Club