Laketran is one of 26 transit agencies to receive grant funding through the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Urban Transit Program. That was announced this week by state Reps. Jamie Callender, R-Concord, and Daniel Troy, D-Willowick. The UTP aims to aid urban transit agencies with vehicle acquisition, preventative maintenance, and facility upgrades, among other allowed expenses, according to a news release. Funded through the state’s General Revenue Fund, the $23.15 million awarded by the UTP is split into two parts — $18.9 million is awarded proportionally to transit systems based on approximately 13% of their Federal Transit Administration Urbanized Area Formula allocation with the remaining additional $4.25 million awarded to small urban areas based on population and ridership. Laketran was awarded a total of $948,946, with $532,416 in proportional funding and $416,530 in small urban bonus funding, making Laketran the sixth largest recipient of UTP funding, the release stated. It also represents the largest grant received by Laketran through the UTP, having received a high of $492,615 in 2023. Laketran CEO Ben Capelle thanked Callender and Troy as well as Gov. Mike DeWine and ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn. “We appreciate their ongoing collaboration to secure vital funding allowing us to enhance our services, upgrade our fleet, and invest in new technology that improves the rider experience,” Capelle said. “The support provided through the Urban Transit Program ensures that we can better serve our community, offering safe, reliable, and accessible transit options for all. Thank you for helping us provide a more connected and efficient transportation services for Lake County.” Laketran currently operates 155 vehicles across Lake County. In 2023 alone, Laketran transported a total of 644,877 riders, totaling 4,612,359 miles traveled between its Dial-A-Ride, Park-N-Ride, and local routes.