Happy Thanksgiving!

Please be advised that WRTA will be closed and there will be no bus service on Thursday, November 23rd in celebration of the holiday.

Nominate Non-Profits for WRTA’s Holiday Lights Campaign

This holiday season, Western Reserve Transit Authority is once again putting the spotlight on organizations that Light Up the Valley all year long with the 2023 WRTA Holiday Lights Campaign! 

Twelve Mahoning County organizations will be chosen from the nominees will be honored at a special event on Wednesday, November 15th. The event will be streamed on Facebook Live this year. The honored organizations will be featured on WRTA TV and social media as well as signs on WRTA buses and the giant digital sign above Federal Station. Two drawings will also take place at the event — one drawing for a winning organization to receive a year-long social media campaign and the other drawing for a winning organization to receive a $ 3,000 TV Advertising campaign sponsored by WKBN.

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.

Our Website Has Been Updated!

WRTA has been in the process of making updates to the website to better serve our riders and the community. We are excited to announce that the improved website has now been taken live!

When visiting the website, you will see adjustments to the overall design, a few new pages added, and existing pages updated. Be sure to check out our new sections on the home page as well — Zero-Emissions Future, Autonomous Vehicles Project, and Community Connections!

In addition, we also added a new feature to simplify and streamline the process of becoming ADA-accessible and compliant using AI, machine learning, and computer vision.

Go check out our updated website now!

 

 

Happy Labor Day!

Please be advised that WRTA will be closed and there will be no bus service on Monday, September 4th in celebration of the holiday.

Effective Sept. 8, Warren Service Will Be Discontinued

Schedule Your Late Night Rides with WRTA’s On Demand App

How to Register & Book a Trip:

Step 1:

Visit the App Store or Google Play Store and download the WRTA On Demand app

Step 2:

Create an account by entering your phone number, first/last name, and email address

Step 3:

Choose your pickup location, destination, and how many passengers will be on the trip

Step 4:

Decide if you want to book your trip now or schedule it for later

Step 5:

Get picked up at your location and track your ride in real time!

For questions, please call Customer Service — 330.744.8431 Option 3

Canfield Fair Bus Schedule

WRTA will once again be offering bus service to and from the Canfield Fair this year! Remember, riding WRTA is FREE!

Click to view a larger image

WRTA Announces Winners of “Art on the Move” Campaign

90 individuals registered to be selected for one of just nine slots in the Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA) Art On The Move Campaign. Now the names of the nine winners are being revealed for the first time.

2023 WRTA ART ON THE MOVE CAMPAIGN WINNERS

• Gary Balog
• Nicholas Begnaud
• Kendra Blake
• Michael Flood
• Daniel Madeline
• Laura Marciella
• Ron Moore
• Gabriel Pagan
• Leah Sydney

The artwork of the nine will be featured on a giant mural on the side of a WRTA bus, like a mobile gallery displaying the talent of local artists.

KICK-OFF EVENT/ARTWORK BUS REVEAL

The artwork on the side of the WRTA bus will be unveiled and the nine winning artists will be recognized at a special outdoor event at DeBartolo Commons at the Southern Park Mall.

The winning artists receive a $100 Visa gift card, and their individual artwork will also be highlighted in TV spots, social media, and on the giant digital display at Federal Station in downtown Youngstown.

Entrants were asked to illustrate the “positive impact of public transportation,” but other than that were free to use whatever medium and whatever subject they chose.

“There are so many talented artists in the Valley,” says Dean Harris, WRTA Executive Director “We wanted to highlight their skill, as well as their unique perspective.”

JUDGES/CO-CHAIRPERSONS

The co-chairpersons of the campaign also served as judges to select the winning nine entries. The co-chairs of the 2023 campaign are:

• Joyce Mistovich, Director of Education, The Butler Institute of American Art
• Kevin Willis, Principal Architect, Strollo Architects
• Patrick McGlone, Mural Artist/Owner, The Overall Paint Co.

 

Thank you to everyone who submitted their artwork!

$8.5 Million in Grants Keep WRTA and the Valley Moving Forward

Thanks to the bipartisan support of United States Senator Sherrod Brown and Rep. Bill Johnson and local community leaders, Western Reserve Transit Authority will receive three federal grants, totaling nearly $8.5 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.  

The three grants include a $4,313,552 Buses and Bus Facilities grant is to construct and improve the WRTA bus maintenance and operations facility — commonly called a “bus barn.” The grant “will provide funding for the replacement of one of our bus barns that hasn’t been updated since the 1970s and when the update is complete, the new bus barn will be ready for the future with the ability to charge battery electric buses and make our operation more efficient,” said Dean Harris, WRTA executive director.

A second award of $2,940,480 comes from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with the Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Transportation Discretionary Grant fund. It is to complete engineering and final design of the reconstruction of the Federal Street station.

The money also would be used to turn it into a mixed-use, transit-oriented facility that includes a new sheltered passenger terminal, parking garage, electric vehicle charging stations and other amenities.

It’s important to note the support of the community in securing the RAISE grant.  Community organizations, government officials and leaders sent letters of support of this project. 

The third grant is $1,208,632 for WRTA to replace older buses with zero-emission and low-emission models. WRTA will use much of the money to replace its gas-powered fleet of 47 large buses and about 25 smaller ones with low-emission and no-emission buses. WRTA has a goal of going all electric by 2040 and will begin converting its bus fleet to electric in 2026.

WRTA provides more than transportation… it supplies a direct route to jobs, personal freedom and the Valley’s economic future. That’s why WRTA is always moving forward, providing efficient service, supporting employers and workers, partnering with the community and preparing for a zero-emission future. 

“These grants will play a key role in keeping WRTA and the Valley moving forward.” said Harris. 

4th of July

Please be advised that WRTA will be closed and there will be no bus service on Tuesday, July 4th in celebration of the holiday.