About
WRTA is the Western Reserve Transit Authority, which provides bus services in Mahoning County.
WRTA has been created by the City of Youngstown and the Mahoning County Commissioners as a countywide public transit authority under authority of the Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 306.
Funding
WRTA, like public transportation systems across the country, provides its services with the assistance of local, state and federal funding. Fares paid by riders are not sufficient to cover the costs of operation or the capital facilities and equipment required. WRTA receives local funding from a ¼% sales tax approved by Mahoning County voters in November 2008. This tax became effective on April 1, 2009.
Board of Trustees
WRTA is governed by a seven-member Board of Trustees, which meets on the last Thursday of each month, except during November and December. This meeting is held at The WRTA Board Room, 604 Mahoning Avenue in Youngstown.
Meetings are open to the public. If you would like to voice a comment or concern, you must sign in prior to the meeting. Any individual or representative of a group may have two minutes to address the board regarding any given topic on the agenda.
Click here for the current, tentative agenda for the latest Board meeting.
Click here for current information regarding the latest Committee meetings.
2024 Board and Committee Meeting Dates
| Date | Time |
| January 19 | 9 AM |
| February 29 (canceled) | 9 AM |
| March 14 (moved from March 28) | 9 AM |
| April 25 (canceled) | 9 AM |
| May 9 (moved from May 30) | 9 AM |
| June 27 | 9 AM |
| July 25 | 9 AM |
| August 29 | 9 AM |
| September 26 | 9 AM |
| October 31 | 9 AM |
| November | No Meeting |
| December 17 | TBA |
WRTA Board of Trustees
| Tracey E. Oates | President |
| Anthony Stratis | Vice President |
| John P. Brown III | Trustee |
| Steven Gondol | Trustee |
| Carlton Ingram | Trustee |
| Emilio Sabastiani | Trustee |
| Mary Boyd | Trustee |
Administration
| Dean Harris | Executive Director |
| Randy Chismar | Secretary Treasurer/Director of Finance |
| Judy Rodriguez | Director of Transportation |
| Dean Soroka | Director of Human Resources |
| Jeff Siwiec | Director of Maintenance & Procurement |
History of WRTA and Mass Transit in Mahoning County
The earliest known mass transit in the city of Youngstown came in the form of horse-drawn trolleys in 1873. In 1890, two existing trolley companies merged to form the Youngstown Street Railway Co. A year later, the company introduced electric-powered streetcars.
Branching out from the immediate downtown Youngstown area, an independent company constructed a line to the newly opened Idora Park on the south side in 1893. By the end of the first decade of the 20th Century, several companies were offering electric streetcar service to destinations as far away as Warren, Sharon, New Castle, Columbiana and Leetonia.
Buses (as opposed to streetcars) first came to Youngstown in 1922 courtesy of the Youngstown Municipal Railway Co. Buses were seen as somewhat of a luxury, in that the were enclosed and had soft leather seats, as opposed to the open streetcars with their hard wooden seats. The two types of vehicles operated side-by-side for several years.
The depression years saw most interurban trolley routes abandoned, so by the end of the 1930s, streetcars no longer ran from Youngstown to Warren, New Castle and Sharon. However, 1936 saw the introduction of trackless trolley buses, which were powered by overhead electrical lines but operated as buses did — on tires rather than tracks. The last streetcars in Youngstown went out of service in 1940.
In 1957, the Youngstown Municipal Railway Co., which had introduced bus service in 1922, was renamed Youngstown Transit Co. Trackless trolleys were discontinued in 1959.
The Youngstown Transit Co. continued to provide bus service in Mahoning County until 1971, when it became the publicly owned Western Reserve Transit Authority.
Advertising
WRTA offers interior and exterior transit bus advertising on its full size fixed route buses. It is an economical way to help get your message across to thousands of people in Youngstown and surrounding communities. WRTA also provides advertising opportunities on its LTV vehicles throughout Mahoning County, with limited reach into Trumbull and Columbiana Counties.
For more information on advertising with WRTA, please visit this page.
Employment Opportunities
WRTA’s diverse and multi-talented employees have made us a leader in the transportation industry by providing customer-focused mobility solutions for Mahoning County and outlying communities through strategic partnerships, innovative planning and implementation options.
Working in this fast-paced environment offers a variety of challenges and opportunities for professional growth. We offer competitive salaries, excellent health care benefits and employee training programs.
If you would like to apply for a position at WRTA, E-mail your resume to dsoroka@wrtaonline.com
The Western Reserve Transit Authority is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer
Updated Transportation Coordination Plan
Working with its partners, WRTA has completed the Updated Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Transportation Plan for Mahoning County, Ohio and Mercer County, Pennsylvania. This updated plan replaces the plan that was completed in 2008. Collaborating partners on the update were the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, Western Reserve Transit Authority, Mercer County Council of Governments, Mercer County Regional Planning Commission and Shenango Valley Shuttle Service.
Click here to view the updated Transportation Coordination Plan. (Version en español)
2023 Annual Report
This is the first-ever WRTA Annual Report. Whether you are a rider, resident, or community leader, you are a stakeholder in the Western Reserve Transit Authority. This Annual Report is meant to keep you informed about the exciting growth and evolution of public transportation in your hometown.
