Laketran updating Park-n-Ride routes, Guaranteed Ride Home program

By Andrew Cass, The News-Herald

Changes are coming to Laketran’s Park-n-Ride routes, starting in November.

The process started in March 2014 with an online survey of where customers work and which routes and Park-n-Ride lots they use.

“People’s job locations downtown change, office buildings move around, businesses move around downtown. We just like to survey the customers to see if we’re going to the places they want to go,” Operations Manager Ben Capelle said.

During the review process, the plans for renovating Public Square were announced and Laketran wanted to be proactive for the new street pattern planned through the impacted area, Capelle said.

Capelle said they received feedback from more than 90 percent of Park-n-Ride riders. The results showed that some shifts had occurred.

The highest density bus stop moved from East Ninth Street and Chester Avenue to the Tower City complex. The second highest density bus stop is at the Federal Building (East 9th Street and Lakeside Avenue) and is underserved by some Laketran routes, Capelle said.

The survey found that Laketran serves two “very different” groups of Park-n-Ride riders. One group prefers a long walk, with as little time on the bus in downtown as possible; and another group that prefers to be picked up as close to work as possible and does not mind riding on the bus longer.

Route 10 is the most popular route, but did not used to serve the Federal Building at night. “If you worked in the Federal Building, you had to walk a decent distance from your office to your bus,” Capelle said.

Starting Nov. 2, Route 10 will provide direct access to the Federal Building in both morning and evening service.

Laketran is also introducing “10X” routes, which will serve riders who prefer walking a faster evening route out of downtown. Regular Route 10 routes will provide increased access to workplaces downtown.

Also beginning Nov. 2, Laketran will start the integration of Route 14 trips into Routes 10 and 12. Route 14 is being integrated into Routes 10 and 12 because more than 50 percent of Route 14’s ridership originates from the Mentor Park-n-Ride. Route 10 will have an earlier trip to provide for customers who previously used Route 14 to get to Mentor. A “12X” service has been designed to provide two more direct trips from the Eastlake Park-n-Ride to downtown in the morning. Eastlake Park-n-Ride morning service will increase from two trips to seven and evening service will increase from three trips to 12.

The new schedule can be found on Laketran’s website.

In several other initiatives targeted for Nov. 2, Laketran is making permanent its Bus on Shoulder pilot program, which allows buses to drive on the I-90/Route 2 westbound and eastbound shoulders between the Euclid Spur and downtown Cleveland when traffic is traveling less than 30 miles per hour, as well as rolling out its improved Guaranteed Ride Home Program and introducing an All-Day Pass program for local routes.

The Guaranteed Ride Home program currently provides Dial-a-Ride transportation to a Park-n-Ride or bus stop from Shoregate Shopping Center in Willowick after a customer uses RTA Route 39 bus from downtown.

“One of the most frequent criticisms of why people don’t try the commuter express route is because the natural fear that it only runs rush hour in the morning and rush hour in the evening,” Laketran General Manager Ray Jurkowski said. “It’s just human nature to say, ‘What happens if I get sick or if someone in my family gets sick or something happens and I need to get home in the middle of the day? I’m fearful that I’ll get stuck downtown.”

Jurkowski said the current program is not that convenient and they’ve decided to take it a step further. With the updated program, customers can call Laketran Customer Service and a Dial-a-Ride bus will be dispatched to pick them up from your office/bus stop downtown and will be taken to their Park-n-Ride or bus stop. As with the current program, it is for emergencies only.

Riders interested in the new Guaranteed Ride Home program are required to sign up. An online form will be available starting Nov. 2, or by calling Customer Service at (440) 354-6100.

Capelle said the program will be monitored to ensure no one is abusing it. A conversation will be held with those found to be abusing the program and their privileges could be suspended if they continue to do so.

All-Day passes will be available for purchase at fare boxes or in advance online for local routes 1-6. After the passes are activated, they are valid for unlimited rides for the rest of the day. A regular All-Day Pass will cost $4 and All-Day Passes for seniors, the disabled and children 2-12 will cost $2.

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