YOUNGSTOWN — The Western Reserve Transit Authority has been awarded more than $2 million in grants from an Ohio Department of Transportation program.

The money will help fund the new expanded Trumbull County service and also provide upgrades to its Youngstown garage.

The matching funds were provided by ODOT’s Ohio Transit Partnership Program that was created to help both urban and rural systems, WRTA announced on Friday. The funding covers WRTA rehabilitation projects at the parking lot of the Mahoning Avenue garage as well as upgrades to the maintenance shop there.

Part of the money also will go toward the purchase of light transit-vehicle buses for expansion of the fixed route system that began in Trumbull County in March.

Trumbull County commissioners took the first steps last month toward joining WRTA permanently, which would include going to voters next May for a sales tax increase.

“We’re grateful to ODOT for providing the local share … which will be combined with federal government funding,” said Dean Harris, WRTA executive director. “In the case of Trumbull County, the state funds will allow the new services (both fixed route and paratransit) to continue through May of 2021.”

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