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Program provides way to get to work

Program provides way to get to work

Cabs part of commissioners’ plan

Lucas County commissioners and private partners Wednesday announced Work-Ready Express, a program designed to provide better transportation for local workers.

The program was created to address the needs of workers who have a hard time finding reliable transportation to and from work.

With a focus on work shifts that end after buses stop running, the program will provide cab services for up to three months for workers who do not have access to transportation.

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Black & White Transportation will shuttle employees who live and work in Lucas County. Participants must either live greater than a half-mile from a public transportation stop, have a work shift after TARTA bus hours, commute an hour or longer on public transportation, or work for an employer that is not serviced by public transportation.

“It’s an area that we’ve all known has been a problem, but there wasn’t a solution attached to this problem yet,” said Tina Skeldon Wozniak, president of the Lucas County Commissioners.

The program is a private-public partnership. Lucas County is providing $25,000 for the program, and ProMedica, Owens Corning, Black & White Transportation, and Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority each contributed $5,000. Mercy Health gave $2,500, Mathews Ford Oregon gave $500, and Mosser Construction gave $250, for a total of $48,250. The program is still accepting sponsors.

“We really believe that part of our mission requires us to be very deeply engaged in the community as a whole,” said Barbara Petee, chief advocacy and government relations officer for ProMedica.

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Workers must be registered with Ohio Means Jobs Lucas County. Individuals also will meet with an area Financial Opportunity Center to prepare a transportation plan for when WorkReady Express ends.

“We knew just providing a cab wasn’t enough, but making a comprehensive program could really help it to work,” Ms. Wozniak said.

Mathews Ford then will work with lenders to match WorkReady employees with their own vehicle at the end of their three months, said Reese Dailey, finance director of Mathews Ford. “That’s what I like about this program,” he said. “It helps people learn to help themselves.”

How many people the program will assist will depend on how far away the workers live as well as other factors. Applications are being accepted online by going to workreadylucascounty.com.

Contact Janet Stengle at: jstengle@theblade.com, 419-724-6194, or on Twitter @janetstengle.

First Published August 4, 2016, 4:00 a.m.

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