By John Arthur Hutchison, The News-Herald POSTED:
The new Julie A. Cunningham Painesville Transfer Center aims to serve more than 130,000 annual riders who use Laketran’s Routes 1, 4, and 5.
A dedication ceremony was held Dec. 1 and coincided with the 59th anniversary of civil rights activist Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama.
Cunningham, who was a former Painesville resident, served on the Laketran Board of Trustees from 1998 through 2001 before she was appointed president and CEO of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials based in Washington, D.C.
Under her direction, COMTO moved from an advocacy organization based solely on public transit to a broader focus including aviation, port authorities and state departments of transportation. Cunningham died earlier this year and her longtime friend, retired Col. Jim Paige, traveled from Washington, D.C., to attend the dedication ceremony in her honor.
Paige worked with Cunningham at COMTO, knew her family well and often visited Lake County with her. He said Cunningham was a transportation and minorities advocate who would have loved to have seen the transit center built in her former hometown.
“This was moving and the (cold) weather was appropriate for who she was and I think this is great and it’s perfect,” Paige said at the ceremony.
The transfer center is located on North Saint Clair Street in Painesville, across the street from the Lake County Administration Center and next to the county’s Job and Family Services Department.
A smaller bus stop located on the opposite side of North Saint Clair Street will be closed.
Laketran said the new location would provide enhanced safety for its passengers, an improved heated shelter area for riders with Americans With Disabilities Act accessibility needs, and improved traffic flow for other vehicles by clearly defining where buses are to park and pick up passengers.
“These routes connect residents to important county services and many health and human service agencies located in downtown Painesville, as well as to jobs and retail in Painesville and along Mentor Avenue,” Laketran Board of Trustees President Kevin Malecek said. The services also help provide access to senior centers and educational venues such as Lake Erie College in Painesville and Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, Malecek said.
The transfer center project was funded by 80 percent federal funds and a 20 percent local match for a total cost of $287,752 and was completed within budget, according to Laketran officials.
“We must thank the residents of Lake County for the continued support of Laketran,” said the transit agency’s general manager, Ray Jurkowski. “Because of our local sales tax, Laketran was able to secure the federal funding that helps supports Laketran’s infrastructure.”
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