Laketran
Laketran is a Lake County, Ohio government transit authority operating fixed-route buses, Park-n-Ride commuter service to Cleveland, and Dial-a-Ride paratransit for seniors, disabled riders, veterans, and Medicaid recipients.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersPainesville, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Laketran does
Laketran is a government public transit authority serving Lake County, Ohio, operating fixed-route local bus service (Routes 1-14), commuter Park-n-Ride express service (Routes 10-13) from eight owned park-and-ride lots to downtown Cleveland and University Circle, and demand-responsive Dial-a-Ride door-to-door transportation across Lake and Cuyahoga Counties. Founded in 1974 and operating with 101-250 employees, the agency is governed by a Board of Trustees and funded through a mix of passenger fares, federal and state transit grants, and local tax revenue, rather than equity capital. Its product surface includes Rides on Demand for same-day trips, a Sports Express shuttle to Cleveland Guardians games, and reduced or free fares for seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, students, and Medicaid non-emergency medical transport users.
The agency operates on the TripSpark Transit platform (provided by Modaxo), which powers real-time bus tracking, route mapping, and the Request-a-Ride online booking portal. Mobile ticketing is delivered through the EZfare app, which is integrated into the Transit, Moovit, and Uber third-party trip-planning apps, and SMS-based rider alerts provide real-time departure information. Recent platform-adjacent moves include a 2026 Route 13 launch to University Circle, Sunday Dial-a-Ride service, and a free promotional Park-n-Ride program tied to rising gas prices, alongside a pedestrian sidewalk partnership with the City of Mentor on Tyler Boulevard.
Laketran's revenue model is a hybrid of farebox transactions (Local Route fares at $3.75, 31-day Park-n-Ride passes at $135, Dial-a-Ride at $10 per one-way trip) and public-sector appropriations; customer segments are diversified across commuters, seniors, disabled riders, veterans, Medicaid recipients, and the general public, with no individual customer concentration risk. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via website, mobile app, phone reservations, and physical ticket sales, with no third-party reseller or enterprise channel.
Laketran firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Laketran
- Legal name
- Laketran
- Website
- https://laketran.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Laketran is a Lake County, Ohio government transit authority operating fixed-route buses, Park-n-Ride commuter service to Cleveland, and Dial-a-Ride paratransit for seniors, disabled riders, veterans, and Medicaid recipients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Laketran industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Transportation
- NAICS
- Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (48521), Special Needs Transportation (485991)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Park-and-Ride / Express Commuter Bus Operators (TLAFAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Municipal/Transit-Agency Microtransit (First/Last-Mile Feeders) (TLAFAJAH), On-Demand Shared Shuttle / Vanpool (Dynamic Routing, Door-to-Door) (TLAFAJAB)
Keywords
Where Laketran is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Painesville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Laketran business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Public Transit Fares: Laketran generates revenue through fare collection from passengers using Local Routes, Park-n-Ride commuter service, and Dial-a-Ride demand-responsive transportation. Fares vary by service type with Local Routes at $3.75, Park-n-Ride 31-day passes at $135, and Dial-a-Ride at $10 per one-way trip for regular fares.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Local Routes (1-9) Standard Fare |
| Subscription | Monthly | Park-n-Ride 31-Day Pass |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Dial-a-Ride Standard Fare |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Value Cards |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Seniors Free Local Routes |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Laketran product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Laketran is the public transit authority for Lake County, Ohio, delivering fixed-route local bus service on Routes 1-9 (plus Saturday variants 1S-9S and the Route 14 Storm Shuttle), Park-n-Ride commuter express service on Routes 10-13 from eight suburban Park-n-Ride lots to downtown Cleveland and University Circle, and Dial-a-Ride door-to-door shared-ride transportation across Lake County and to medical facilities in Cuyahoga County. Digital rider tools — the EZfare mobile ticketing app, the Request-a-Ride online booking portal, real-time bus tracking via the TripSpark platform, and SMS rider alerts — support fare purchase and trip management.
Product overview
Laketran is a public transit agency providing fixed-route bus services and demand-responsive transportation across Lake County, Ohio with connections to Cleveland. The core service portfolio consists of Local Routes (Routes 1-14) serving major Lake County corridors, Park-n-Ride commuter express (Routes 10-13) connecting to downtown Cleveland and University Circle, and Dial-a-Ride door-to-door service for flexible travel. Digital add-ons include the EZfare mobile ticketing app (also embedded in Transit, Moovit, and Uber), the Request-a-Ride online booking portal, and SMS-based rider alert notifications. Real-time bus tracking is powered by TripSpark Transit.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Local Routes Fixed-route public bus service traveling the major corridors of Lake County, Ohio, on Routes 1-9 weekday and Routes 1S-9S on Saturday plus the Route 14 Storm Shuttle. Available to the general public with free rides for seniors aged 65+.
- Park-n-Ride Commuter Service Commuter express bus service on Routes 10-13 between eight Lake County Park-n-Ride lots and downtown Cleveland and University Circle, Monday-Friday with early-morning departures and evening returns. Riders park at one of the eight lots and purchase a 31-day pass or pay per ride.
- Dial-a-Ride Door-to-door shared-ride transportation service throughout Lake County and to select medical facilities in Cuyahoga County for passengers who cannot use fixed-route service. Reservations can be made online via Request-a-Ride or by calling 440-350-1000. Reduced fares are available for seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans.
- Rides on Demand Same-day on-demand transportation service for Lake County residents needing flexible, short-notice travel within the county, extending the Dial-a-Ride offering with same-day availability.
- Sports Express Special-event shuttle service transporting riders from Lake County to Cleveland Guardians baseball games downtown.
- EZfare Mobile Ticketing App Mobile ticketing application through which riders purchase and activate bus passes for Local Routes, Park-n-Ride, and Rides on Demand, with built-in integration into the Transit, Moovit, and Uber trip-planning apps.
- Request-a-Ride Online Portal Online reservation portal for Dial-a-Ride that lets customers book, view, cancel trips, manage account balance, and track ride status.
- SMS Rider Alerts Text messaging notification service that lets riders subscribe to real-time Laketran service alerts by texting LAKETRAN to 440-517-8100 and query real-time bus departure times by texting 41411.
Quantifiable outcome
- Direct service to University Circle with 3 daily arrivals and 5 daily departures
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Laketran
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Laketran technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
Laketran partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Laketran competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Greater Dayton RTA: Greater Dayton RTA operates fixed-route bus service and Connect paratransit in Montgomery County, Ohio. Similar mid-sized Ohio transit authority with comparable commuter and demand-responsive service mix.
- Metro RTA (Akron): Metro RTA operates fixed-route bus service and SCAT paratransit in the Akron-Summit County region. Comparable in scale and service mix to Laketran, with similar commuter and demand-responsive product structure.
- Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA): COTA provides fixed-route bus and demand-responsive service across the Columbus region. As another Ohio public transit authority, COTA shares Laketran's funding model, ADA paratransit obligations, and reliance on TripSpark-style transit platforms.
- Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA): PARTA provides fixed-route and demand-responsive transit in Portage County, Ohio, immediately adjacent to Lake County. Most directly comparable peer in scale, geography, and service portfolio to Laketran.
- Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA): GCRTA operates public bus, rail, and paratransit service across the Cleveland metro area. It is the primary transit partner that Laketran's Park-n-Ride commuter routes feed into, and shares the same regulatory model, funding sources, and Ohio-specific operating environment.
- SORTA / Cincinnati Metro: SORTA operates bus service and Access paratransit across Greater Cincinnati. Comparable Ohio-region transit authority with similar suburban-to-urban commuter dynamics and microtransit pilots.
- Medina County Public Transit: Medina County Public Transit provides demand-responsive and deviated fixed-route service in neighboring Medina County, Ohio. Comparable rural-suburban Ohio transit agency serving a similar commuter profile.
- Geauga County Transit: Geauga County Transit provides demand-responsive service in Geauga County, immediately east of Lake County. Closest geographic peer with overlapping commuter demand into Cleveland.
Emerging players
- Via Transportation: Via operates on-demand microtransit platforms that increasingly partner with or compete against public transit agencies on demand-responsive routes. Relevant as an emerging alternative delivery model for the dial-a-ride segment Laketran operates.
Broad incumbents
- Uber: Uber is integrated into Laketran's EZfare app as a complementary mobility option, but also competes directly for senior, disabled, and Medicaid-funded non-emergency medical trips. Relevant as both a distribution channel and a competitive substitute.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Laketran social profiles
Digital presenceLaketran financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Laketran leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Laketran funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Laketran M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Laketran
What does Laketran do?
Laketran is the public transit authority for Lake County, Ohio, delivering fixed-route local bus service on Routes 1-9 (plus Saturday variants 1S-9S and the Route 14 Storm Shuttle), Park-n-Ride commuter express service on Routes 10-13 from eight suburban Park-n-Ride lots to downtown Cleveland and University Circle, and Dial-a-Ride door-to-door shared-ride transportation across Lake County and to medical facilities in Cuyahoga County. Digital rider tools — the EZfare mobile ticketing app, the Request-a-Ride online booking portal, real-time bus tracking via the TripSpark platform, and SMS rider alerts — support fare purchase and trip management.
Is Laketran a public or private company?
Laketran is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Laketran founded?
Laketran was founded in 1974. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Laketran based?
Laketran is headquartered in Painesville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Laketran make money?
One revenue line is on record: public Transit Fares.
Who are Laketran's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Greater Dayton RTA, Metro RTA (Akron), Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA), Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), SORTA / Cincinnati Metro, Medina County Public Transit and Geauga County Transit. Via Transportation is listed as an emerging player. Uber is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Laketran have an API?
No public API is recorded for Laketran.
What industry is Laketran in?
Laketran's product category is Public Transportation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFAGAF, Park-and-Ride / Express Commuter Bus Operators, with a secondary code of TLAFAJAH, Municipal/Transit-Agency Microtransit (First/Last-Mile Feeders). Its NAICS code is 48521 and its SIC code is 4100.