Laketran passengers are relaxed, informed, and saving tons of money on gas and parking
By Patricia Nugent
With sky-high gas prices putting the pinch on anyone who drives, Laketran’s Park-n-Ride commuter service between Lake County and downtown Cleveland is seeing more people looking to try transit.
“A Lake County commuter who travels 60 miles round trip to Cleveland in a mid-size SUV and pays $7 a day to park can spend up to $5,136 a year, or $21.40 a day, in commuting expenses that include fuel, maintenance and parking,” says Julia Schick, Laketran’s director of communications. “The Park-n-Ride cost is $7.50 for a round-trip ride, which means a $3,336 per year savings.”
One of the many loyal riders is Frank Magrans, seen above. Although saving on gas isn’t the original reason he started with Laketran, it’s certainly something he’s pleased about now that he’s been riding for 16 years.
“I work at the U.S. Coast Guard in the Federal Building,” says Frank. “I was initially stationed in Fairport Harbor, then worked in the Arctic Circle, and when I returned to Cleveland in 2005, the Coast Guard provided bus passes for Laketran, so I decided to take them up on it.”
He enjoys reading, praying, napping, chilling out and just scrolling through his phone during the 25-minute ride each way. The bus drops him off at his building on East 9th Street.
“The whole Park-n-Ride experience, from the drivers to the fellow passengers, couldn’t be any nicer,” says Frank. “And I’ll never forget Vicki, the driver who made our Thursday afternoon rides fun by organizing Trivial Pursuit games. I’ve made life-long friends on Laketran.”
Recently trying Laketran’s door-to-door Dial-a-Ride service, Frank shared, “I had a knee replacement in February and was happy to discover that disabled veterans ride Dial-a-Ride for free thanks to the county’s Veterans Service Commission, so it was great to be able to get rides to my doctor appointments, too. When I was on a cane, the drivers would get out and help me every time.”
Laketran operates three Park-n-Ride routes that run Monday through Friday from eight locations in Lake County, starting as early as 5:30 a.m. and returning as late as 6 p.m. For more information, go to Laketran.com. Check out the Gas Price Calculator to see how much you could save each day, month or year by opting for Laketran.