Wilmington Transit Presents at Cape May
- Real Change Wilmington
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
On October 6, 2025, Jonathan McKay, Wilmington Transit Director, spoke at the 3M Club at Ohio Living Cape May. McKay began his presentation by sharing that in August, Wilmington Transit System (WTS) transported 12,540 riders, roughly equivalent to the population of Wilmington. He stated, "We haul all walks of life... We haul from the extremely wealthy to two dollar or one dollar is all that people have in their savings."
According to McKay, prior to his start as director, WTS was "one of the worst transits in the state of Ohio" and is now "a model in the state of Ohio of how to dig out from badness." Upon his appointment, the transit department expanded the hours, offering rides Monday through Friday from 6:30am to midnight, Saturday from 9am to midnight, and Sunday from 9am to 3pm. After 6:30pm, rides are only offered within city limits. McKay shared that all trips must originate or end in the city of Wilmington and that the vehicles cannot go out of state.
When discussing the importance of affordable and accessible transportation, McKay shared the story of a young woman who took the city transit home from her job at a restaurant as a way to help her afford college.
McKay shared that each ride within city limits is $2, or $1 for military, seniors, or those with disabilities. For trips outside of town, riders are charged $2 plus $1 per mile for the time that they are in the transit vehicle. In addition to this, WTS also offers rides to the Dayton Airport ($50) and Columbus Airport ($100).
WTS transports 250 to 325 passengers a day on average. The department has 26 vehicles in the fleet (all handicap accessible but one), and 63 employees. According to McKay, the wait time varies but is usually between 15–20 minutes. Each vehicle has a list of city department phone numbers in case residents need to contact another city office. McKay also shared that WTS prides themselves on their customer service, even stating that the vehicles have umbrellas so riders can be walked to their door and avoid the rain.
To learn more about WTS, visit wilmingtonohio.gov.