OH: State bus route servicing Ashtabula Harbor starting in March

The city will be part of a state-wide expansion in public transportation when a GoBus stop opens March 2 in the Harbor.

The bus stop will be located in front of a public parking lot on Bridge Street, adjacent to Cloven Hoof Brewing.

The Ashtabula stop will connect to other stops in Painesville and Cleveland, including one near the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

A Wednesday release from the city said those stops link to additional GoBus routes across the state as far as Columbus, Athens and Cincinnati.

Ashtabula City Manager Jim Timonere said in the release he was enthusiastic about the city stop.

“GoBus is an affordable transportation alternative that will attract travelers to Ashtabula while also allowing our residents to conveniently travel throughout the state,” he said. “There are many opportunities to reach destinations across Ohio through the connections available along this route.”

People can buy tickets at ridegobus.com or the RideGoBus app.

Ticket sales for the route opened Wednesday, according to a Tuesday release from GoBus. Fares vary, with the lowest prices being $5 per person, and no one-way trip costs over $40 per person. Tickets can be bought up to 120 days in advance.

The GoBus release said ticket sales will be discounted until the end of March using the code GOBUS15 through website or app.

According to the GoBus website, the route Ashtabula is on will operate seven days a week, with the westbound route scheduled for Ashtabula at 9:50 a.m. and the eastbound route scheduled at 2:19 p.m. People should arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time.

City administration learned about the opportunity from the Ashtabula County Board of Commissioners, the city’s release said.

Ashtabula County Commissioner Casey Kozlowski said he brought Timonere’s attention to the expansion after the Ohio Department of Transportation reached out to him in late 2025.

He said the commissioners agreed they were interested in the proposal after ODOT reached out, and they took part in the planning process.

Kozlowski said he and the other commissioners agreed that Ashtabula would be the best site for the stop, because it was the most populated city in the county.

“This will be a tremendous addition for our residents and visitors alike, strengthening connectivity and expanding transportation opportunities across Ohio,” he said.

The bus stop will also be great because of its close proximity to Kent State University Ashtabula and Bridge Street, and the already existing ACTS transit network.

Around 60% of GoBus riders are college students, so the stop’s proximity to Kent Ashtabula and the ACTS line is important, Kozlowski said.

Ashtabula City Council President John Roskovics said the bus stop will be great for local residents, allowing them to travel across the state.

“Another good thing, it’s going to bring people to Ashtabula,” he said.

Roskovics said Harbor businesses will be in walking distance of the bus stop.

“This is a great thing,” he said.

The route of which Ashtabula is part crosses Northern Ohio to Toledo, according to the GoBus website.

“This major expansion will add 26 new stop locations and double the size of Ohio’s GoBus intercity transit network,” the GoBus release said. “The four new routes will expand primary access across Western and Northern Ohio as well as service between Columbus and Pittsburgh, connecting more communities than ever before.”

Other new stops include Sandusky, Lima and Dayton, the release said.

“GoBus riders will have expanded access to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), as well as Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), through a connection with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s Red Line train,” it said.

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