COLUMBUS - Laketran is one of 26 to receive grant funding through the Ohio Department of Transportation's (ODOT) Urban Transit Program (UTP), announced State Representatives Jamie Callender (R-Concord) and Daniel Troy (D-Willowick). The UTP aims to aid urban transit agencies with vehicle acquisition, preventative maintenance, and facility upgrades, among other allowed expenses.

Funded through the State's General Revenue Fund and authorized by HB 33 (Edwards), the $23.15 million awarded by the UTP is split into two parts. $18.9 million is awarded proportionally to transit systems based on approximately 13% of their Federal Transit Administration Urbanized Area Formula allocation with the remaining additional $4.25 million awarded to small urban areas based on population and ridership.

Laketran was awarded a total of $948,946, $532,416 in proportional funding and $416,530 in small urban bonus funding, making Laketran the sixth largest recipient of UTP funding. It also represents the largest grant received by Laketran through the UTP, having received $492,615 in 2023, $447,053 in 2022, and $429,829 in 2021.

"We are incredibly grateful to State Representatives Callender and Troy, as well as Governor DeWine and Director Boratyn, for their continued commitment to public transportation," shared Laketran CEO Ben Capelle. "We appreciate their ongoing collaboration to secure vital funding allowing us to enhance our services, upgrade our fleet, and invest in new technology that improves the rider experience. The support provided through the Urban Transit Program ensures that we can better serve our community, offering safe, reliable, and accessible transit options for all. Thank you for helping us provide a more connected and efficient transportation services for Lake County."

Founded in 1974, Laketran currently operates 155 vehicles across Lake County. In 2023 alone, Laketran transported a total of 644,877 riders, totaling 4,612,359 miles traveled between its Dial-A-Ride (268,622 riders), Park-N-Ride (59,168 riders), and local routes (317,087 riders).

"Reliable transportation is essential to functioning in a modern environment," said Callender. "By investing in local transit capacity, seniors are able to get to their doctors appointments, job seekers can be connected with employers, and families are able to take advantage of the arts and cultural institutions found across the region."

"As a member of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee, I was a strong advocate of increasing state support for our public transit systems in the 2024-2025 Transportation Budget Bill," said Troy. "These dollars going to LAKETRAN will certainly help them in maintaining and upgrading the vehicles and equipment necessary to carry out their mission that improves the quality of life for our citizens, as well as the economic well-being of our local business community and its workforce."