Collegian

Issue date: 3/13/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Patricia Bergquist Christopher Hughes and Moses Young are majoring in fields that require hands-on education to acquire the skills they need for their future careers. They are two of the many students who travel to LCCC on LCT busses.

Media Credit: Patricia Bergquist Staci Santiago makes a quick dash for her class on a cold and rainy day, Mar 1. The 11 a.m. Route 3 is one of the two Lorain County Transit busses serving LCCC on Route 3 that may be reduced to one if proposed changes are made. Route 51 also serves LCCC, and is included in the proposed changes.

Bus-riders of Lorain County Community College may want to be present at two public hearings on March 26 and 27 as Lorain County Transit is planning to change service on routes serving LCCC.

Because of budget cuts to the LCT, the routes 3 and 51 will be reduced to a single bus, which will stop only every two hours between the hours of 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., according to a story that appeared in the Feb. 23 edition of the Morning Journal.

The March 26, hearing will be held at the Elyria Pubic Library on West River Rd from1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The March 27 hearing will take place at the Lorain Public Library from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. According to the Morning Journal story, the county commissioners are planning to vote on this April 5.

Tom Ferguson, LCT director, said, "We're received a 50 percent reduction in our budget from the county commissioners. We're trying to recover $500,000."

When asked about service to LCCC, Ferguson said, "We are going to maybe run the Route 3 bus when the 51 isn't running, but this isn't in stone." Ferguson explained, "Route 3 runs two buses going in opposite directions, we're trying to reduce it to one."

Ferguson said to Alex Parker, who wrote the Morning Journal story, "It's not very pleasant to do this. We're just trying to minimize the effect it will have."

Every month, the LCCC bookstore sells about 150 ticket booklets and around 30 passes, according to Elaine Lawless. She purchases the LCT booklets and passes for the LCCC Bookstore.

This only accounts for a portion of the people who ride the bus to LCCC daily for classes and for work.

The proposed changes in service will impact many LCCC students that use Routes 3 and 51 to get them to their classes everyday.

"It's going to mess me up because I have morning classes," Tressa Hill, a TV/ radio broadcasting major said. "I spend $70 a month on bus passes. Why spend $70 if you can't go where you want to?" Hill frowned for a moment. "That's my car right now," she said.

Hill rides Route 2 and transfers to Route 3 in the morning, and takes Route 51 home in the afternoon.

Another student, Christopher Hughes is double majoring in nursing and criminal law.

"That's (the service changes) going to hinder people coming up here (LCCC) for an education," Hughes said while sitting with three friends. "I'm trying to be something."

LCCC does offer internet courses that would help alleviate inconveniences caused by this proposed change.

Moses Young, a computer science and engineering student, said,"In my field, I need hands-on to learn technical skills and to learn computer repair."

Hughes and Young said that they do have computers at home.

However, they said, "It's better to have a teacher. It's more hands-on. You need class participation."

"I can't learn to be a nurse over the Internet," Hughes said.

Sandra Bell and Stanley Edwards of Sodexo, the service provider for the cafeteria and the bookstore ride LCT busses into work each day. They are just two of the LCCC staff members who use LCT.

"I don't agree with the changes," Edwards said, "People have to be to work more often then every two hours. How are people going to work at 6, 8, 10, or 12 going to explain that to their bosses?" Edwards frowned and shook his head.

More information about the changes to Route 3 and 51, along with those affecting "Dial-a-Ride", can be obtained through the LCT website or by calling 440-233-7868 or (440) 329-5545. The contact numbers for the Lorain County Commissioners Office are 440-329-5111 or 440-329-5760.

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