METRO Facts

METRO’s overall revenue-producing fleet (passenger transport) totals 205 vehicles: 128 large buses and 77 smaller paratransit buses), all of which are wheelchair accessible. Some passenger vehicles are equipped with a hydraulic lift to accommodate scooters or wheelchairs; others “kneel” by lowering the front passenger corner of the vehicle to curb level so passengers can roll aboard on a slide-out ramp. In 2010, the first diesel-electric hybrid bus was added to METRO’s fleet and three more are scheduled for 2011 delivery.

METRO’s fleet is 100 percent wheelchair/scooter accessible for mobility devices measuring a maximum of 30” x 48” with a combined maximum weight of 600 pounds for passenger and chair or scooter (ADA requirements).

The average age of the large buses is 7.7 years. For small buses, the average age is 5.8 years. All METRO line-service buses are equipped with bike racks.

METRO’s 2009 operating expenses were $33.8 million and operating revenues were $43.6 million. Labor accounted for 42.6 percent of total 2009 expenses. Other expenses included fringe benefits at 25.0 percent, materials and supplies were 16 percent, purchased transportation was 3.1 percent, and casualty and liability insurance 2.9 percent. METRO’s total 2009 income included 8.4 percent from federal revenue, state revenue was 2.3 percent, and fare box and ticket sales amounted to 8.6 percent. Sales tax generated $3.6 million, or 76.9 percent of total revenue. An additional 1/4 of 1 percent Summit County sales tax for METRO RTA was approved by voters on March 4, 2008, and revenue from this source became available to METRO in the fall of 2008.

METRO is governed by a twelve-member board of trustees: six are appointed by the City of Akron, three by Summit County, and one each from the cities of Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls and Stow.

Employees in the Human Resources Department at METRO perform the following job functions: Staffing, Drug/Alcohol program, Training, Benefits, Vehicle Services and Workers Compensation/Safety. Trainers in the Human Resources Department provided 16,198 hours of employee training in 2009 through a combination of hands-on and classroom settings, in such diverse areas as driver training, passenger safety, health issues, workplace violence and safety.

As of December 31, 2009, METRO employed 360 persons in the areas of operations, customer services, maintenance, office, and vehicle services.

In 2009, METRO’s Customer Services staff responded to 260,779 requests for information on line service and 155,777 SCAT calls. Other diverse requests for information are related to such topics as school field trips, ticket orders, schedule requests and group trips. The department maintains and services over 100 schedule rack locations throughout Summit County.

Customer Services also provides travel training for passengers, teaching them how to read a bus schedule and use the METRO transit system.

METRO’s maintenance department consists of 35 mechanics plus 14 employees who wash and fuel the entire METRO fleet on a daily basis.

Line service consists of buses traveling along predetermined routes on a set schedule, including:

• Neighborhood Circulator routes (these buses do not travel into downtown Akron)
• Grocery Bus service
• Two “North Coast Express” routes to downtown Cleveland, making limited stops in order to help passengers reach their destinations in the shortest reasonable time.
  Current per-ride fare on line service within Summit County is $1.25 for adults and children age six and over. The fare is 50 cents for passengers over age 65 or with a disability, within the Akron- Summit County area. To be eligible for the 50-cent fare, a passenger must show the operator a Medicare card, SCAT I.D. or Disability and Senior (D&S) card.
  
  Also available:
  • $12.50 / 1-day general fare pass
  • $15.00 / 7-day general fare pass
  • $50.00 / 31-day general fare pass
  • $30.00 / 31-day D&S pass
  • $20.00 / 10-ride SCAT ticket (good on all SCAT services)
  • $15.00 / North Coast Express one-way fare
  • $40.00 / North Coast Express 10-ride pass
  • $12.00 / North Coast Express one-way fare with a METRO SCAT I.D.
  • $ 2.75 / North Coast Express one-way fare with an Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services I.D.

METRO SCAT is personalized, prearranged, origin-to-destination transportation for older adults and people with disabilities— a service known as demand-response transportation.

To be eligible, passengers must live in Summit County, have a SCAT Photo I.D. card, and meet at least one of the following requirements:

1. 62 years of age or older
2. have a disability that prohibits the passenger from using regular line service

SCAT operates Monday through Friday. Hours of operation vary by community. Passengers are permitted one round-trip per day. Additional medical-related trips are permitted on a trip-by-trip basis. Trips for groceries or food are limited to the grocery store or nutrition center nearest the passenger’s home. Trip reservations must be made 24 hours in advance.

A companion may accompany the primary SCAT passenger for an additional $2.00 per ride. “Life necessary” SCAT service includes work, medical care and education, and is available anywhere within Summit County. “Convenience” destinations (bank, hairdresser, laundromat, etc.) must be within six driving miles of the passenger’s residence and are secondary to “life necessary” trips for vehicle availability.

SCAT ridership averaged 914 passengers per day in 2009.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Complementary Paratransit is specialized transportation for people with disabilities, complementing regular bus service by transporting qualified passengers up to 3/4 mile to and/or from a bus stop so they can access regularly scheduled METRO RTA routes. ADA Complementary Paratransit service is available during the hours METRO fixed routes operate, and both pick-up and drop-off must be within 3/4 mile of a fixed bus route.

This service transports qualified passengers to and from the bus stop when and if their disability prevents them from otherwise accessing that fixed route.

Others eligible for ADA Paratransit are those passengers with a disability that prevents them from using regular bus service: they cannot board, ride or exit an accessible vehicle that is part of regular fixed-route service.

Eligibility may be temporary or permanent, depending on the disability. Some individuals may be eligible only for certain trips or may qualify only during certain times of the year. A functional assessment is required to determine ADA paratransit eligibility. There are no limits on a passenger’s daily trips, but travel must be scheduled at least one day (and up to three days) in advance. The fare for Paratransit service is $2.50 each way, and the passenger’s pre-registered personal care attendant may ride along at no extra charge. METRO made 10,158 ADA trips in 2009.

For Students...

METRO partners with the Akron Board of Education to transport students traveling to schools outside their immediate neighborhood on additional regularly scheduled services. Student transportation service averaged 49 hours daily during the school year, 30 trips per day, traveling a total of 18,486 miles (an average of 513 miles per week).

This MEDICAID-funded service supports METRO through the Area Agency on Aging, transporting older adults to medical appointments. The purpose of the PASSPORT program is to help older adults continue living within the community, avoiding institutionalization. METRO provided 43 PASSPORT trips in 2009.

Supported through the Area Agency on Aging, this service transports older adults (age 60 and over) for nutrition, medical, and adult day care programs. Service is funded by the Older Americans Act. Title III transportation averaged 572 trips per month in 2009; a total of 6,858 trips for the year.

The non-emergency NET service provides transportation for patients throughout Summit County who are covered under Medicaid and require access to non-emergency medical services (including dialysis and outpatient medical visits) through the Summit County Department of Job and Family Services (SCDJFS). This service is reimbursed on a per-mile basis.

In 2009, METRO averaged 1,323 NET passenger trips per month; 15,874 trips for the year. METRO vehicles averaged 5,228 miles per month under this contract service.

• COOL RIDER presentations (METRO’s tiger mascot) are in their 14th year and continue to introduce bus safety in Summit County preschool, pre-K, and elementary schools. In addition, COOL RIDER appears at regularly at Akron Zoo’s “Backpack Adventures” and a variety of both METRO and community-wide events.
• METRO offers customized prearranged facility tours for groups to visit our Transit Center as well as our Kenmore Blvd. bus garage and maintenance area, to learn about METRO and about employment opportunities in public transit. Travel training is available for students in middle school and high school—as well as international students.
• Travel training is offered to social service agency clients, older adults and persons with disabilities.

One more way METRO serves Summit County organizations and citizens

• Informative, entertaining, customized presentations for your group or organization featuring METRO’s evolution from mule drawn carriages to the complex system serving Summit County today.
• Educating organizations about METRO’s supporting role in Akron/Summit County economic development, providing transportation for over 55 million passengers annually. Employees traveling to/from work, shoppers, students, patients in need of medical care...all of these and more look to METRO for safe, efficient travel throughout Summit County.

METRO’s 21st Century Intermodal Transit Center—service at a whole new level in an environmentally friendly “green” building. The October 22, 2007 groundbreaking ceremony and January 5, 2009 dedication of this new, purpose-built transit center at 631 S. Broadway in downtown Akron launched METRO into a new level of service. METRO line service from the facility began Sunday, January 18, 2009. Greyhound Bus Lines began operating from the Intermodal Transit Center in late January, 2009.

The Wi-Fi enabled Transit Center features travel amenities and improved security with more than 90 cameras and an Akron Police Department substation. METRO Customer Service representatives are on-site to assist passengers with their METRO travel plans. Public restroom facilities, indoor and outdoor seating areas, a climate-controlled environment, cafe, ATM, vending machines for food and beverages— and more—are available to passengers. With its close proximity to railroad tracks, the Transit Center would be an ideal departure/arrival point for rail passengers should Amtrak resume service to Akron.

• SCAT/ADA vehicles traveled 1,235,645 miles in 265 days of operation.
• SCAT/ADA passengers totaled 237,770: an average of 4,572 riders each week; 914 per day
• SCAT/ADA vehicles were on time 97 percent of the time
• Grocery Bus service transported 19,584 passengers to a grocery store near their residence. The service averaged 75 passengers daily Monday-Friday, traveled a total of 10,378 miles, and spent 2,264 hours in service
• METRO’s 37 fixed-route buses transported 4,790,095 passengers and traveled 3,029,579 miles.