New Winona Lake Town Manager Pam Howard (L) and retiring Town Manager Craig Allebach listen to the presentation from Kosciusko Area Bus Service and Michiana Area Council of Governments on KABS’ deviated fixed route plans. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WINONA LAKE — Two of the stops along Kosciusko Area Bus Service’s planned deviated fixed route will be in Winona Lake, with the remainder in Warsaw.

Tuesday night, July 15, KABS General Manager Kristin Rude and Michiana Area Council of Governments Senior Transit Planner Jeremiah Cox gave a presentation to the Winona Lake Town Council on the route, with retiring Town Manager Craig Allebach having a couple suggestions for it.

Rude explained they have been working on the project extensively for about a year. “We’re at the point where we’re entering public phase, we want the town’s feedback. We’ve been working in partnership with (MACOG) and we’re pleased to present a new deviated fixed route service designed to improve public transportation access in both the city of Warsaw and the town of Winona Lake. We’re seeking support from the Winona Lake Town Council to approve designated stop locations and authorize signage installation in preparation for the route’s anticipated launch this fall,” she said.

A deviated fixed route operates on a published schedule with designated stops, while allowing for limited off-route deviations. Rude said the route will run on a continuous loop, stopping at designated points every hour when riders are public. If no riders are waiting at a stop, the bus proceeds to the next location. “Riders who are unable to reach a fixed stop, maybe due to mobility issues or things of that nature, may call and preschedule a deviation. So the bus will leave that route, pick them up within a quarter mile of that route,” she stated.

The fixed route, designated as “The Lake City Loop,” will operate 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The fare is $1 per boarding, and an additional 50 cents for a deviation. KABS is also looking at offering an unlimited bus pass for $20 per month. All the vehicles are ADA accessible, and there will be one bus assigned to the route. It will be equipped with a bike rack.

The two stops in Winona Lake will include Grace College and The Village at Winona. Other stops will include Walmart, Kroger, Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital, Warsaw Community Public Library and other designations. Rude said they’re looking to serve all residents of Warsaw and Winona Lake, with a particular focus on those who face transportation barriers.

Allebach said he knows they’ve been working with The Village at Winona on the stop. He said he and Village Managing Director Nick Hauck have talked about it pretty extensively. “My question is, consideration to, currently, I think you’re planning on make a stop at Park and Administration,” he said.

Rude said that was correct, with the address being 802 Park Ave. roughly as well as 780 College Ave. Allebach asked for them to take into consideration to bring that stop further south at Park and Fort Wayne so that the bus riders have access to The Village as well as a shorter walk to the park.

The other consideration was to have a stop at Fairlane Mobile Home Park as the people there may not have access to motor vehicles. “I’m just thinking of critical areas for our community that would benefit certain populations where as opposed to just The Village and maybe up at Grace, to consider that. Either extra stops or maybe moving the stops there,” he said.

Cox said they looked at Fairlane, but didn’t want to make the loop too long so all the stops could be made within one hour.

Allebach said there was more benefit to adding a minute or two than to say they weren’t going to service those groups.

Rude said KABS will continue to operate its on-demand services, so they do offer a lot of rides to residents out at Fairlane. Going forward with the route, she said there’s definitely room for growth and changes as needed.

“This is kind of a good starting point that we landed on, and we’re hoping to give it a good test run. And if we see that there are stops that we’re not getting ridership at, but are deviating all the time down here to Winona Lake Park, then maybe we look at switching that stop down to Winona Lake at that time,” Rude explained. The town council approved a motion by Councilman Jim Lancaster to move forward with the plan, and then town attorney Adam Turner can work with the town, Allebach and new town manager Pam Howard to figure out what’s the appropriate next steps.

In other business:

• Council President Ashley McGinnis introduced Howard, the town’s new town manager. She started about a week ago “and we’re very excited to have her,” McGinnis said. The council approved the appointment of Howard to the Winona Lake Plan Commission in place of Allebach.

• The council approved the renewal of the annual Boyce/Keystone software contract for $11,120. Clerk-Treasurer Heather James uses the software for bookkeeping, payroll, utilities, etc.

• Allebach provided a rundown of “Winona Happenings.” Farmers Market at Winona is 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 19 and Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. Allebach said Farmers Market occurs every Saturday until Nov. 1. On July 26, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 or 5 p.m., the Jazz Festival takes place at the Winona Lake Heritage Room. The Annual Family Fest is at the Miller Sunset Pavilion from 3 to 6 p.m. Aug. 2. Then on Aug. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Police Back to School Picnic is at the Pavilion.

• The council approved a $5,000 donation from Silveus Insurance for Family Fest and the Police Back to School Picnic; the donation of door prizes from The Village shops for the Family Fest; and Zimmer Biomet’s donation of six Smash pickleball sets valued at an estimated $300.

• Heard from Parks and Senior Center Director Holly Hummitch the installation of the shade corridor between the pickleball and tennis courts will take place July 21-25. For safety purposes during that week, the basketball, pickleball and tennis courts will be closed down during that week.

• The council approved for the fire department to apply for an American Firefighters grant for air paks.

• Town Marshal Joe Hawn reported Project Ebenezer’s 2025 Helping Heroes Fest is Saturday and Sunday at the Winona Lake Limitless Park. It includes a pickleball tournament, emergency services demonstrations, face painting, arts and crafts and more.