By Rachel Jackson RJackson@News-Herald.com

 

Laketran has collected 2,329 signatures to date for its petition regarding transportation funding.

Although signatures continue to be collected, Laketran General Manager Ray Jurkowski has presented the available signatures during his recent meetings with legislators, asking them to consider all the options available for supporting public transportation.

 

The busing system is among the many organizations expecting to see a significant reduction in its state and federal funding receipts in the upcoming budget cycle.

 

As part of its petition initiative, Laketran also has collected personal stories of its clients, who use Laketran as a way to get to work or to medical appointments such as chemotherapy or dialysis, for example, or to college classes. The latter includes not just recent high school graduates but also those of middle age who may have been laid off and in need of training for a new career, Jurkowski said.

 

“(This is) the heart and soul of what this funding is all about,” Jurkowski said.

It’s not about discretionary spending as much as it is a basic necessity for many of Laketran’s clients, he said.

 

Monday, the Laketran board also heard an update on preliminary Census results, which suggest an increased need for the busing service in the future.

 

The median age of Lake County residents in 1980 was 29.9, whereas the estimated median age in 2010 was 41.5, said Jason Boyd, Laketran board member and director of the Lake County Planning Commission.

 

“When we look at our market, we are, as we know, an aging community,” Boyd said.

Also Monday, the board heard an update on the relocation of a bus stop at Great Lakes Mall in Mentor.

Although the relocation is behind schedule, it is expected to be completed within the next month and is substantially complete already, deputy general manager Andy Altenweg explained to the board. A new shelter is complete and includes heaters in the ceiling; the asphalt has been replaced with cement; and new signage is expected to be in place soon.

The move has been received well so far, Altenweg said.