The News-Herald Editorial Staff | Sunday, January 11, 2015

People don’t always look forward to turning 40. 

We can imagine, though, it was a happy occasion at Laketran when the bus system recently marked its 40th anniversary.

 After all, Laketran enters its fourth decade of service as a vibrant public transportation provider, and like a person who ages well, shows no signs of slowing down.

What started out as a few borrowed buses has now grown into a fleet of nearly 40 buses and more than 70 paratransit vans that traveled 3.3 million miles and served more than 750,000 riders in 2014.

“We’re the thread that weaves the fabric of the community together,” said Ray Jurkowski, general manager of Laketran. “I can’t think of anything that we don’t connect… You name it, we’re probably getting someone there.”

With a variety of service offerings, Laketran welcomes aboard Lake County residents from all walks of life.

Laketran’s local routes take shoppers to places such as Great Lakes Mall, students to Lakeland Community College and help people get to their jobs throughout the county.

With Laketran’s Park-n-Ride service, folks who work in downtown Cleveland save money on gas and are spared the expense of parking their cars in a big-city ramp or lot. The bus system’s Dial-a-Ride door-to-door service is especially helpful to those with disabilities and senior citizens who need to shop or go to medical appointments.

Another part of Laketran’s success is its ability to recognize changing needs among its riders and develop ways to serve those people better. One such example is Laketran’s response to the increasing number of older citizens in Lake County.

A Miami University Scripps Gerontology Center study projects that residents age 60 or older will comprise 34 percent of Lake County’s population in 2030, compared with 22.4 percent in 2010.

The AARP also reported that 88 percent of senior citizens want to stay in their own homes as long as they can, but more than 20 percent of seniors age 65 and older do not drive.

To help Lake County seniors stay independent and mobile, Laketran created a travel training program in 2013 called Seniors on the Go.  The program aims to create customized transportation plans for senior citizens who need to get around Lake County, but might not have a car or family members to rely upon for rides.

Although the transit agency provides travel training outreach to anyone who requests it, Laketran started Seniors on the Go as a special program after getting a growing number of calls from senior citizens and their caregivers. 

Laketran also is working to stay on the cutting edge on technological advancements that can bolster bus system operations.  Later this year, Laketran plans to introduce technology that will enable riders to text the transit agency to learn when the next bus will arrive at a specific bus stop, or use a smartphone app to follow where any bus is on the road.

Outdoor LED signs at the newly opened Julie A. Cunningham Painesville Transfer Center also will display constantly updated, real-time information for incoming buses. The signs eventually will be brought to other high-traffic areas, including the Great Lakes Mall in Mentor and Lakeland Community College in Kirtland.

Although Laketran has turned a lot of corners and hit some bumps in the road over the last four decades, the bus system has achieved a track record of efficiency and good service for its riders.  

We urge Laketran to keep moving in that same direction as it rolls into the future.

View Laketran’s 40th Anniversary Video “40 Years Moving Forward” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iV9G6gWMyg