Churches want bus stops at 2 area malls

Drop-off points far from retail centers pose safety and health issues, coalition says.

People board a bus on one of the three routes that stop in the Dayton Mall parking lot, about 300 yards from an entrance. A coalition of area churches wants better bus service to malls. Staff photo by Chris Stewart

Chris Stewart/Dayton Daily News Staff Photogra People board a bus on one of the three routes that stop in the Dayton Mall parking lot, about 300 yards from an entrance. A coalition of area churches wants better bus service to malls. Staff photo by Chris Stewart

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Dayton Mall owner to discuss bus stops with group

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By Joanne Huist Smith, Staff Writer Updated 1:07 AM Wednesday, April 14, 2010

DAYTON — A coalition of 18 churches wants the owner of the Dayton Mall and the Mall at Fairfield Commons to boost bus service to those retail centers.

“What we want is to have (bus) stops that are closer to the mall entrances, providing better accessibility for workers as well as elderly and handicapped riders,” the Rev. Earl Hudson, pastor of Harris Memorial CME Church, said. “This is a serious health and safety issue.”

Frank Ecklar, director of planning and marketing for the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, said the transit company used to have close access to the Dayton Mall. That ended around 2002, when mall officials asked that the bus stop be moved. Mall officials said the buses were too big and created safety issues, Ecklar said.

A delegation from Leaders For Equality & Action in Dayton met in Columbus on Tuesday, April 13, with representatives of Glimcher Realty Trust, the malls’ owner, to discuss better bus service to the malls.

Glimcher committed to have a representative attend LEAD’s annual Nehemiah Action Assembly on Monday, where 1,500 people are expected to attend in support of finding a solution.

“They are willing to come to the table and talk over the issues with us,” delegation member Roz Rebosky said.

Staff writer Dave Larsen contributedto this article.

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