Western Reserve Transit Authority will receive just under $2 million in state funding that will allow the Youngstown-based transit operator to begin providing both fixed-route and on-demand transit services in Trumbull County, an administrator with the Ohio Department of Transportation announced this morning.

ODOT’s Charles Dyer made the announcement at this morning’s Eastgate Council of Governments general policy board meeting.

WRTA had applied for the grant funds in an attempt to create fixed-route service in Trumbull County that would hub around downtown Warren’s Courthouse Square. The plan is part of a new partnership forming between the Western Reserve Transit Authority and Trumbull County.

The state had set aside $44 million in transportation budget money set aside for local transit systems. There were more than 200 applications requesting about $180 million worth of transit projects from the pool of $44 million to be divided among public transit entities, said Dean Harris, executive director of WRTA.

This is a developing story. Read more in Tuesday’s print edition on what this means for public transportation users, or log on here for more details.