By GLENN WOJCIAK

The Post staff writer

People rode Medina County Public Transit buses a little more often in 2011 than they did the previous year.

Transportation Director Mike Salamone reported that MCPT ridership was up 6.5 percent in 2011 and ridership on Brunswick Transit Alternative buses jumped almost 16 percent last year. MCPT delivered a few more than 102,000 riders in 2011, which was about 6,300 more riders than 2010. BTA had 35,500 riders last year, which was about 4,900 more than 2010.

MCPT riders fall into two categories: those who simply board a bus traveling a loop around the city of Medina and those who schedule a ride at a specific time through the MCPT dispatch service. The on-demand service accounted for almost 80 percent of riders and rose 4 percent last year. The number of riders on the Medina loop climbed 16 percent to 21,473 last year.

The sharp increase on the fixed route buses in Medina and Brunswick is welcomed by Salamone and Medina County Commissioner Steve Hambley.

"It's encouraging to see the increases in the fixed route service because that is the most efficient use of our resources," Salamone said.

He also said it is less expensive to pick up riders on the fixed routes and he would like to see that service expand in the future. One possibility for that is to add a fixed route in Wadsworth where city officials have discussed the idea, but have not yet committed to apply for a federal transit grant for which they would have to supply matching funds like Brunswick does.

"I'd like to get a loop service established in Wadsworth," Salamone said. "We already run a couple of on-demand buses there and it would be more efficient for us to simply run some regular routes around town."

Fares for the on-demand service are $2 for the initial pickup plus 10 cents per mile traveled. However, that rate is cut in half for the disabled and elderly. The fare on the fixed routes is $1.

Although revenue from fares was up about $50,000 in 2011, most of the operating budget for MCPT is provided by state and federal grants and contracts with various public agencies. More than a dozen agencies such as the Office for Older Adults, the Achievement Center and Job and Family Services contract with MCPT to transport their clients.

MCPT gets about half of its $1.6 million annual operating budget through a federal grant and another $168,000 in state funding. BTA, although managed by MCPT for the last two years, is funded separately through federal grant agreements with Brunswick.

Salamone calculates that about 47 percent of the riders on Medina County Public Transit represent the general public. About 25 percent of them are disabled; 22 percent, elderly; 6 percent, low income; and 0.75 percent are students.

Salamone hopes public ridership will increase more in Medina this spring when the Medina County Transportation Consortium plans to post bus stop signs that clearly delineate the routes travelled by MCPT buses.

Hambley also expects MCPT operations to be enhanced this year by the recent opening of a new $2.5 million transit garage and operations center in Lafayette Township, and the addition of new scheduling software.