Lorain County Transit

Lorain County Transit (LCT) is a public transit system serving Lorain County, Ohio, United States. A division of the Lorain County Commissioners, LCT currently operates local service within the county consisting primarily of demand-responsive service and paratransit, along with a few fixed bus routes. The headquarters are located in Lorain County's county seat in Elyria.

In 1974, Lorain County board chairman, Robert Wickens successfully led the effort to launch public transit service within the locale of Lorain County, Ohio.

In 1992, LCT launched a weekday-only run route between Elyria and Cleveland Clinic in Lorain via Amherst. The route was primarily a flag stop route in the corporate limits of Amherst. Around the mid-1990s, LCT eventually modified the route to serve the Super Kmart shopping center in Lorain.

In late 2000, LCT began operating several fixed bus routes across several municipalities throughout Lorain County;^[2] the majority of the routes served an established terminal as a transfer point adjacent to Midway Mall in Elyria. A secondary terminus for some of the routes was established near a shopping plaza in downtown Lorain. In addition, LCT also began operating a few inter-county bus routes; an express route (Route 33) from downtown Oberlin to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport which also included a stop at a park and lot in Elyria; LCT also provided a weekday-only rush hour express bus route from Elyria to the RTA park and ride lot in Westlake, providing a connection to RTA bus routes into downtown Cleveland; additionally, LCT provided a local route from Elyria to an RTA bus stop at the Lorain Country line in North Olmsted via North Ridgeville, providing connections to RTA bus routes for continued service into the Cleveland area. LCT also eventually began launching connecting demand-responsive "Community Connector" service, which allowed riders to provide in-demand request service within a number geographical regions and to connect to and from the fixed route network; this service served the municipalities of Oberlin, Amherst, South Amherst, Avon, and Avon Lake.

In August 2006, LCT announced that the bus routes would no longer operate as a flag stop service citing safety concerns. Designated bus stop signs on each of the active routes were installed.

On June 1, 2009, the Lorain County Commissioners had approved $300,000 in service reductions as a result of funding shortfalls and economical struggles. Around the same time, LCT discontinued the 33 and 70 routes. LCT additionally discontinued service running on Sunday.^[3] On December 31st of the same year, LCT suspended service systemwide, and on January 14, 2010, LCT shut down majority of the routes due to funding issues, following a failed tax levy.^[4][5] At the same, LCT combined 4 routes into 2 combined routes; routes 1 and 51, and 2 and 52, respectively, leaving the system with only 4 routes, and Dial-A-Ride paratransit service; all of which since are currently operating only on weekdays.^[6]

On September 10, 2012, LCT launched the Cleveland Commuter express route from Elyria to Downtown Cleveland, but was later discontinued on August 16, 2013, due to low ridership.

In 2017, Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency awarded funds to LCT to develop a plan for service evaluations to help increase ridership awareness and improve marketing. In November and December of the same year, LCT held public meetings in Elyria for local residents of a proposed new redevelopment plan. However, the plans have not come to fruition.^[7]

In July 2024, LCT launched "ViaLC", a demand-response microtransit service under partnership with Via Transportation providing service within Elyria and Lorain.^[8] On December 18, 2025, LCT received a federal grant of $2.7 million for transit expansion; officials have currently planned to expand service hours on the microtransit service and resurrect weekend service.^[9]

In addition with the fixed routes, LCT also operates a demand-response dial-a-ride service along with an "Oberlin Connector" service, the latter of which is required to have their trips begin and/or end within Oberlin's city limits. LCT also operates in-demand microtransit service under partnership with Via Transportation providing service within Elyria and Lorain. ViaLC currently operates weekdays only from 6 AM to 6 PM.

LCT also operates "Dial-A-Ride" paratransit service for handicapped individuals within Lorain County's entire geographical region.^[10]

Oberlin Connector, ViaLC, and all fixed routes cost $2 for a one-way trip. Dial-A-Ride paratransit service costs $9 one way. Seniors, children 3 through 12, and disabled can receive a discount of $1, while veterans and children 2 and under can ride for free. Transfer tickets to allow riders to transfer to and from another route or Via LC are free of charge and must be requested upon boarding; riders were originally allowed 2 transfers with a transfer ticket. Due to the current downsized network of fixed routes, only 1 use is currently allowed. Monthly and all-day passes along with 10-trip tickets are also available. Riders traveling between routes 1 & 51, or 2 & 52 currently do not require a transfer ticket to continue their trips.

Riders on fixed routes, Oberlin Connector, and Dial-A-Ride must provide exact change in cash upon boarding, while ViaLC accepts cash, credit, and debit.

The now-defunct express routes into the Cleveland area such as route 33 Cleveland Hopkins Airport Express (previously Cleveland Link), costed a higher fares.^[11]

As of January 2010, the 4 original routes currently operate bi-hourly between mornings until early evenings on weekdays. Most of the routes are served as a transfer point at the Black River Career Prep High School in Elyria.

• List of bus transit systems in the United States