ELYRIA — Greyhound bus services are returning to Elyria effective Oct. 1 after the county was able to ink a deal with the transportation company for the use of the Lorain County Transportation Center on East Avenue.
Under the agreement, Greyhound passengers will be able to wait on benches under a canopy at the transportation center on East Avenue near Depot Street. The agreement does not allow for use of the inside of the building but does give residents a place to wait for departing buses and arriving riders.
“This agreement brings Greyhound back to downtown Elyria and provides an important mode of transportation for the people of Lorain County,” said a news release from county Administrator Jim Cordes.
Greyhound services were discontinued in Elyria after Mayor Holly Brinda asked the company to find a safer bus stop location in the city after a woman was mugged in broad daylight on Lake Avenue.
Brinda said she never wanted Greyhound to leave Elyria, but Greyhound officials took Brinda’s concern that way.
“Transportation needs continue to be very important in the city, and I am very happy to see this agreement has been reached,” Brinda said. “Safety has always been our No. 1 concern, but we never wanted to see Greyhound leave. We just believe we can provide a better a better service to our residents.”
The mugging took place in late July when a woman and her 4-year-old son were waiting for a bus when a man with a gun approached them demanding money. According to a police report, the man had a gun and took $180 in cash from the woman before running off.
Brinda said she always thought the center would be the perfect venue for Greyhound and is happy to see talks finally lead to a usage agreement.
“When people in Lorain County think of a transportation center, they think they should be able to get both public and private buses there,” she said.
Cordes previously said Greyhound wanted the county to provide baggage handling, restrooms or freight service, which the county could not provide for the staff at this time.
Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.
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