Moving LANTA Forward

Vehicles that drive themselves

2011-07-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

The illustrious Road Warrior, (Dan Hartzell), of The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa, penned a news article that appeared Monday, July 24th, 2011 that spoke of 'gadgets' introduced over the years by the auto industry that had made driving easier and caused him to question whether drivers are as responsible today as in the past.

The Warrior's headline was "What's next, cars that drive themselves?"

It got us to thinking that, based on what we've seen in the transit and trucking and even the rail industry over the past several decades, the answer may well be "Yes." And it may not just be commercial vehicles that provide transportation independent of driver interaction.

We recall seeing decades ago, a Popular Mechanics magazine ‘vision issue’ illustrating how automated highways were in our future where drivers would queue up and enter ‘tracks’ where they and their passengers would travel comfortably, safety and efficiently, in caravans of automobiles – almost like passenger trains – along long stretches of highway. Well, these never materialized but are such visions impossible?

We've been attending the Transportation Research Board (TRB) conferences now for many years and one of the research tracks has been indeed auto-drive vehicles. The TRB works on research and demonstration projects year in and year out in colleges and universities not only in the U.S. but across the Globe and meets once a year in Washington D.C. to review the previous year's research. Hundreds of panels of speakers and presenters review literally thousands of research papers on every possible aspect of transportation including all surface modes from pedestrian and bike to high speed rail.

It is an inspiring week of academic excellence on a subject that touches every one of our lives: transportation.

Following the path of the 'driver less' vehicle studies, there are ongoing demonstrations by using automated vehicles that maneuver through a simulated streetscape safely. Many are city transit vehicle experiments where buses run along ‘tracks’ – pavement-level tracks or sensors, not raised rails - built into the street surface providing a path or course or travel. Sets of sensors or tracks at intersections arrange for vehicles to ‘dock’ automatically or, on demand, to pick up waiting passengers or allow people to disembark.

Closer to home - and far more realistic and practical - the Lindenwold High Speed line which brings folks to and from Philadelphia and central New Jersey was originally engineered and designed to operate automatically. It IS a light rail operation, on a fixed guideway, and the trains themselves travel along at predetermined speeds, slowing down and stopping at stations automatically without the need for human intervention. Built in the 1950’s it was an amazingly sophisticated advanced designed system – years ahead of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART) on the West Coast which was designed to be fully automated as well but had some inherent flaws from the start.

The Lindenwold line operates flawlessly but from the start was "manned" as passengers reportedly were nervous and refused to board a train that had no operator on board. So it does have operators who sit ready to take control if things go awry and, as far as we know, they seldom have a need to as the system operates very well on its own - as designed. BTW, the last time we looked at their operation, they were the largest users of Susan B. Anthony coins in the US as their fare paying equipment – again unmanned at stations – were designed to accept these coins (and none otther) which you obtain at the stations through vending machines. The coins are cycled through the system over and over and eventually wear out and have to be replaced through the US Mint.

The reasons for this broad experimentation in driver less vehicles are several. One is safety. It is meant to take the human propensity for error and inconsistency (driver fatigue, substance abuse, and a more recent phenomena, cellular 'phone use, text messaging etc) out of the operating equation. Another is efficiency. If a vehicle is operated the same way consistently, at constant speeds without variation, energy use can be minimized and wear and tear on hardware reduced. Finally of course, is cost. In transit's case, 85% of the cost of operating is labor – basically drivers with some maintenance in there also. Having few operators in the systems saves a bundle.

We have used 'people movers’ at airports that seemingly operate independent of human interaction. However, while there may not be anyone on board these vehicles, which are basically light rail operations for the most part, there is a central control where people are monitoring the systems and making sure no one gets stuck in the closing doors. Still, these systems operate from point A to point B regularly, 24/7, without operators physically on board.

As far as automobiles go, there is a federal initiative to work with manufacturers to implement 'smart car' systems and 'smart highways' across the U.S. It was supposed to be completed by 2009 but we think the economy interrupted the plan's progress. All vehicle manufacturers from Ford, GM and Chrysler to Honda, Toyota and BMW are cooperating as eventually, only such 'smart' vehicles as stipulated by the federal government, will be allowed to be sold in the US as of a certain date. Basically, this is the notion of putting GPS and other ‘smart’ vehicle recognition features in cars that sensors along highways can ‘read’ and communicate with. The outcomes are many including way finding, speed control, and, Lord save us, mileage tolling for travel and insurance purposes.

There is also the 'big brother' concept of reading certain maintenance conditions of vehicles and alerting drivers if there is some safety problem or the vehicle needs service. The presentation we heard about this back in 2008 at a national meeting was pretty impressive. It was another way of approaching funding highway maintenance while injecting safety and efficiency controls into travel and commuting. Drivers would be alerted automatically if traffic ahead of them could be avoided with alternative driving routes. Toll booths would be eliminated also removing those untimely delays and drivers would be billed or have their accounts drawn down on like EZ Pass. How do you get back more yield from investment in the national highway system? You make it smarter and more automated.

The trucking industry has been involved in this effort for several years as well with major trucking firms working with government to help document vehicle weights, distance traveled and speed on highways fitted with sensors that read such data as the vehicles roll by. With such systems you can eliminate freight truck weigh station stops and reduce travel delays and monitoring of truck operations for safety and productivity purposes. If you can automate truck driver logs, it makes honest people out of a lot of operators at the same time.

Space age thinking? Too far distant in the future to be realistic? We are not sure. But given the technological advances in this information age we are living in, it does make a lot of sense to apply these new thoughts and ideas to old infrastructure.

How do you improve transit, trucking, rail and highways? Make 'em smart.

Imagine

2011-06-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Think about sitting at your desk or workstation completing some reports and knowing you are going to have to work an extra half hour that day. You go to the LANta website to check on your bus schedule and find that there is indeed a bus that runs one hour later than the one you usually ride home. Later as you prepare to leave the office, you check in again only this time to LANta tech tools to see exactly what time the bus is departing based on GPS calculations in real-time. You see that the bus is running about 5 minutes late.

Then, at the bus stop, using your cellular phone and the four digit number on the bus stop sign, you ‘dial in’ to hear a voice provide information on exactly when the bus is scheduled to arrive at the stop and you find that you have enough time to duck into the coffee shop near the stop to pick up a latte.

That’s the kind of convenient access to schedule information that LANta has been building into its system over the past year and a half. Most of the infrastructure is in and has been operating for some time now. Bus stop signs with individual bus stop numbers are going to be installed starting this summer and the hope is, weather permitting, to finish that project by the end of the calendar year. The four digit bus stop number, when dialed at the end of a set telephone access number, will generate the GPS authenticated information about the bus operating to and from that bus stop.

Five years ago, this kind of information access was almost unimaginable. And, where it was being experimented with, it was incredibly costly. It still isn’t cheap. The new LANta system, supplied by Avail Technologies Inc of State College, PA, cost a tad under $2 million dollars. And this system, while on the Authority’s master capital plan, was not funded until the federal ‘Stimulus’ program came along. Opportunity knocked, and LANta answered and moved the project along swiftly to meet the federal requirements for a quick turnaround.

While expensive, the investment will pay back over time in time saved in monitoring the system, efficiencies that can be implemented in response to the extensive management information gathered and through insurance and other savings that accrue due to safety enhancements and accident control.

Those ultimately reaping the greatest benefit will be LANta passengers who gain the comfort of knowing exactly when buses operate at all times of the service day. Imagine how convenient such a system will be to use . . .

Moving LANTA Forward: Real change, real soon!

2011-03-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

Last year, the LANTA Board of Directors officially adopted the Moving LANTA Forward strategic plan to guide LANTA’s policy decisions over the next decade. Moving LANTA Forward included three main elements: a service plan for the fixed route system; a marketing plan; and a land use outreach toolkit.

The service plan element of Moving LANTA Forward called for a redesign of the current fixed route network to accomplish various goals including:

• Establish a tier system of corridors to guide service and capital enhancements;
• Improve user-friendliness of the system through streamlined routes and a new route classification system;
• Reduce complexity by reducing variations and eliminating the separate evening service structure;
• Create new direct connections for prominent travel patterns with new through-routing links;
• Address route segments with “tight” running times to improve reliability and reduce operator stress; and
• Use flexible service models to address sparsely developed areas.

On Monday, August 29, 2011, LANTA will implement the first phase of changes designed to address these improvement goals. LANTA has developed a proposed service plan which will be a significant redesign of the current system. The proposals for changes will be made available for public comment starting Tuesday April 5, 2011. Members of the public will be able to review the proposed changes and provide their input at four separate public input sessions as follows:

Allentown
Tuesday, April 5th 1 - 3 pm and 6-8 pm
Baum School of Art - 510 W. Linden St

Easton
Wednesday, April 6 1 - 3 pm
Eastonian Hotel - 140 Northampton St

Bethlehem
Wednesday, April 6 6 - 8 pm
Hyatt Hotel - 45 W. North St - opposite the Metro Mart

In addition, information will be available at www.lantabus.com and members of the public will be given the opportunity to submit questions or comments through various electronic venues.

Rising Gas Prices Result in Highest Transit Savings in Two Years

2011-03-09T11:43:00.001-08:00

The American Public Transportation Association's (APTA's) latest Transit Savings Report (released monthly) examines how an individual in a two-person household can save money by taking public transportation and living with one less car. Gas prices increased 28 cents a gallon in the last 10 days and are expected to continue rising. As a result, people who ride public transportation save, on average, $9,904 annually, and $825 per month. These results, based on the March 4 average national gas price and the national unreserved monthly parking rate, show the highest savings for public transit riders in two years.

How Green is our Valley?

2011-02-18T07:02:00.000-08:00

Ran across this article today:

London Bike Share Program not as "green" as had first been reported.

The article is interesting in that certain statistics and functional activities were ignored in trying to make this project appear to be contributing greatly to reducing emissions and providing alternative transit. China has similar projects that have been in place for less than a year and is struggling with maintaining them. It begs the question: is there a 'perfect green' project short of simply not traveling? We think not.

We had to chuckle the other day when we met an advocate for clean air for the first time and she remarked that it was 'unfortunate' that LANTA was 'part of the problem.' We were taken aback for a moment. Public transit prides itself as being part of the solution to air pollution in that by definition it eliminates so many trips that might otherwise be taken by single occupancy auto. Buses provide such a positive benefit compared to what is exhausted into the air as they operate that the scales are truly weighed in its favor. And technical improvements over the past decade have made 'clean diesel' a good deal more than an oxymoron.

As the advocate continued, it became clear that her focus was on the diesel fuel exhaust from the bus fleet and we have to concur, that is unfortunate. But given current technology and the economics of transit, there isn't really any pure, non-polluting energy alternative to transporting people.

The hybrid electric buses LANTA introduced to the Valley transit system last year go a long way towards minimizing pollutants but they still run somewhat on diesel fuel. And someday, the battery packs that help propel the vehilce will need to be replaced and there is the issue of disposing of batteries and the manufacture of new ones. Both processes have elements of pollution to them.

Obviously, what the world needs is a non-polluting energy alternative to power vehicles. The hydrogen fuel cell is the closest thing we've seen towards that end, but it remains a technology that is considered experimental and not entirely practical for general use.

In the meantime, taking the bus - walking when one can do so practically - is the best alternative for those who want to help the environment. And it's healthier too!

BRT . . . Is that something to eat?

2011-02-05T07:23:00.000-08:00

Government is infamous for throwing around acronyms. In transportation, BRT is shorthand for Bus Rapid Transit, a transportation service that is part of the long term vision for public transportation in the Lehigh Valley laid out in the Moving LANTA Forward. It’s a term applied to public transportation systems using buses to provide a service that is similar to light rail transit without the rails.

It is a form of transportation pioneered in Curitiba, Brazil! Curitiba, one of the fastest growing, most progressive cities in South America. More than 3 decades ago, Curitiba initiated municipal planning that merged transit friendly designed with land use. Starting with one line along a major corridor, the mode proved so effective that today, all of Curitiba’s main arteries have express bus lanes that are dedicated to ‘bus rapid transit’ service.

The features of this service: it is quick, has limited stops at boarding platforms and uses rubber-tired vehicles that function and provide amenities more akin to subway or light rail service.

See here (http://urbanhabitat.org/node/344) for an article with more detail about Curitiba.

See here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJR9uCSyGKM) for an excellent video on BRT in Curitiba.

Land use is critical for optimal transit use with higher modes of transportation. LANTA is partnering with Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) to dedicate resources to educate the community and municipalities concerning land use and transit oriented design issues.

The Valley already has much of what is needed for an exceptional BRT in place already, but it is not consistent in key corridors.

The Moving LANTA Forward plan calls for service and capital improvements in the short and intermediate terms along “trunk” corridors which can act as a foundation for a future LANTA BRT network. Short and intermediate term service improvements along these trunks include enhancements to the frequency of service and the hours service is available. Potential capital improvements include passenger amenities, technology and ‘transit first’ improvements.

A couple of years ago, there was discussion about ‘rail’ and light rail alternatives in the Valley. When Congressman Dent responded and explored the concept with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in Washington, given the population density of the Valley, the FTA recommended exploring BRT as a first step. Congressmen Dent obtained a grant to provide LANTA with funds to examine BRT as an alternative and demonstrate its potential.

LANTA Planning staff is working now to begin this alternatives analysis as well as taking steps to define corridors for future BRT projects. Density remains an issue. The Lehigh Valley’s population is 625,000 within Lehigh and Northampton Counties. In urbanized Curitiba, the population is more than twice that: 1.75 million. With the mature BRT system in place today in Curitiba, 90% of this population is served. One of the questions that has to be answered is which comes first: the density or the higher mode of service?

Talk about Moving LANTA Forward ...

2011-01-19T07:10:00.000-08:00

We've just installed the most amazing technology!

It's the trend in the transit industry to purchase and install systems that track city transit vehicles via geographic positioning technology (GPS) that sends information via sattelite to central servers which then display exact vehicle location along bus routes on a Google-type map. Such systems have been available over the past several years in majors cities like New York and Chicago. Well, now this technology is coming to a bus stop near you!

In addition to showing the exact vehicle location, all bus stops along the route are shown and the system interacts with the bus, estimates speed and distance, and defines the estimated time of arrival at each stop along the route. This 'real time' information adjusts according to traffic conditions, weather - whatever affects the speed of the bus - to constantly update the estimated arrival times.

Check it out here in its current test mode.

The system LANTA has installed was designed and developed by Avail Technologies, Inc., of State College, PA. It is a state-of-the-art system that has been deployed in several communities in Pennsylvania. LANTA went out for competitive proposals on this project in 2009 and Avail was the successful contrator and has been installing the software and hardware for the past year.

As one can imagine, a project like this is not only time-consuming but involves a tremendous amout of data collection, input and management. As we've noted in articles previously posted here, the first step of the process was for LANTA staff to physically visit each and every bus stop in the Metro system and 'geocode' the stop. This created a latitude and longitude for each stop so that the system could define it as the bus traveled along its route. We learned that there are 2695 bus stops in the LANTA Metro system (trust us, we counted!)

Other tasks included the creation of a database in a scheduling management software so that each bus route was digitally defined and each vehicle had a unique identity. Hardware was installed on vehicles so that not only would the system 'find' the bus, but the internal electronic data management systems would work together to provide fare, schedule, driver and passenger information along with everything else. This allows Dispatchers to know not only where the bus is located, but how many passengers are on board and if the vehicle is on time and whether or not people are looking to transfer along the route.

In additional to obtaining information online, passengers will be able to view signs at major transfer points that show the real time buses are arriving and departing. A telephone number will be available so that riders can check whether the bus is on schedule or not. And, since so much information is being collected hour after hour, day after day, LANTA planners will be able to modify routes and schedules to respond better to passenger patterns and demand.

The system is in final testing mode now and should be available to the public within a couple of months. Accuracy of the system is obviously crucial, so considerable time is being taken to verify all data.

This system, used in concert with Google Transit, will provide passengers and prospective passengers with volumes of information to make travel on LANTA buses more reliable than ever before. No longer do riders have to trudge to bus stops and 'guess' when the next bus is coming along. They will know.

The benefits of this system are far too numerous to list here but suffice to say, LANTA has moved forward into the 21st in a very robust, hi-tech way!

Update 1/29/2011: The Morning Call's Road Warrior 'discovered' LANTA's venture into cyberspace technology. Click here to read his inciteful and accurate report.

Transit Friendly Wheelchairs

2010-11-22T06:12:00.000-08:00

For several years now, all LANTA Metro buses have been fully ADA accessible. A ramp can be deployed at bus stops to allow passengers in wheelchairs to easily board buses. There are, as required by ADA, two wheelchair tie-down areas on every vehicle reserved for people who use mobility devices in order to travel independently. Here is some advice on obtaining a mobility device that is safe to use on public transportation vehicles.

Section 37.3 of the DOT’s regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) (49 CFR Parts 27, 37, and 38) defines a "common wheelchair" as a mobility aid belonging to any class of three or four-wheeled devices, usable indoors, designed for and used by individuals with mobility impairments, whether operated manually or powered. A "common wheelchair" does not exceed 30 inches in width and 48 inches in length measured two inches above the ground, and does not weigh more than 600 pounds when occupied.

Transit wheelchairs that can be used most safely on a city transit bus, will have four identifiable and crash-tested securement points to which tie-down straps can be easily attached. If it is not possible to use a transit wheelchair, the next best choice is a wheelchair with an accessible metal frame to which tie-down straps can be attached at frame junctions.

Before you purchase a wheelchair, ask if the model you are looking at meets ANSI/RESA WC/19 Standards. If you already have a wheelchair, check with your dealer to see if the model you own meets these standards.

A properly positioned headrest on the wheelchair will help protect the head and neck. If it is necessary to use an added head and neck support during travel, soft neck collars are safer than stiff collars or head straps which could cause neck injury in a crash. The soft collar should not be attached to the seating system.

Transit vehicles use a four-point tie-down. It is important that your wheelchair be crash tested and meets ANSI/RESNA WC/19 Standards. This system is a universal tie-down that works with a wide range of wheelchairs. This type of system requires the driver to attach the straps for the person seated in the wheelchair.

To provide effective restraint for the person in the wheelchair, a belt restraint must be used. A lap and shoulder belt helps prevent the wheelchair user from being thrown from the vehicle or from hitting the interior of the vehicle during a crash or during emergency driving conditions.

If you do not have a transit wheelchair, it is best if you can attach the tie-downs to welded junctions of the frame or other structural areas where the frame is fastened together with hardened steel bolts. Bus operators are advised to avoid attaching tie-downs to adjustable or removable parts of the wheelchair – that may include armrests, leg-rests and wheels.

On non-transit wheelchairs, structural securement points as high as possible but below the seat surface will be used as a tie down. This is done to provide as much stability during travel as possible.

In addition to securing the wheelchair, your bus operator will also require that you use a crash-tested lap and shoulder belt. Some wheelchair hardware, such as an armrest, can interfere with a good lap belt fit. Bus operators will not place the lap belt over an armrest.

Everyone wants to be safe riding public transit. Some common sense will go a long way towards achieving that goal for everyone.

Keeping the Message Simple - Malcolm Gladwell, author of “OUTLIERS” (a good read!)

2010-10-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

“There is an enormous amount of power in the concept of the public good,” said Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author of The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers: The Story of Success. That was his message when he spoke at the APTA Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX. And the most effective ways to harness that concept—in this case, convey to the public the importance of public transportation—are to keep the message simple, use appealing stories and appropriate images, and if possible, find a charismatic spokesperson.

He cited the example of seatbelts, noting that initially, U.S. drivers strongly resisted using them, considering them an “unwarranted government intrusion” into their lives. Once advocates shifted the message from attempting to influence adults to promoting the use of children’s car seats, the children then became advocates for seatbelts, and the percentage of adults using them rose from 15 percent to 65 percent. “Approaching the issue from a different way made all the difference in people’s willingness to respond,” he stressed.

Another way Gladwell proposed to frame the message is to emphasize social and economic equality. “Public transit is a vehicle of economic equality and opportunity—the same access to jobs, education, and cultural events to everybody, regardless of resources. A way we make our society a united and equal place …. isn’t only about taking people from point A to point B; it’s something far grander and more crucial and central to the American dream.”

Gladwell talked at length about how the 1955 bus boycott in Montgomery, AL, created an unusual partnership with workers and religious institutions—with the goal of civil rights equality. People needed to ride the bus to and from work, and “for the bus to be segregated was the ultimate inequality … The boycott was about the dignity of workers.” So churches became bus “stations,” and religious leaders organized transportation to ensure that the workers kept their jobs. “You can reframe what you do in such a way that you can bring in allies who may never have thought they were allies,” he said.

He also pointed to public transit as a “public good,” similar to parks, schools, and other benefits that improve the general quality of life, as opposed to “private goods” owned by individuals. “People are getting fed up with the current emphasis on private goods,” he said. “If you talk to people and listen, you find they’re talking about public goods.” Gladwell continued: “If you have $1 billion, you have all the private goods you can acquire. There’s nothing more that will make your life better that you can purchase for yourself. The only ways in which your life could improve—cleaner air, fewer potholes, less crime—are all public goods.” For that reason, he added, the wealthiest citizens should support paying more taxes to support the common good, much as they did in the 1950s as America rebuilt itself after World War II.

Public transit professionals “need to make a much stronger argument that public goods will be more beneficial than buying things as individuals,” he said. “What would really make your life better? I’d like better schools for my kids, a shorter commute time, I want my kids to be able to play outside without worrying—all parts of being a community.”

BY SUSAN BERLIN, Senior Editor, APTA Passenger Transport

The tale of a Loop and a fashion shoot . . .

2010-09-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

Sort of sounds like one of the challenges from Project Runway!

Wink Magazine, a local publication providing news and photos of lifestyle, fashion, arts and entertainment and subculture in South Side Bethlehem, featured a story on the 9/18/2010 LOOPapalooza, a new fest designed to promote Downtown Bethlehem and the LOOP bus service. To promote the event, Wink published a photo layout of the “Ladies of the LOOP,” that included Samantha Schwartz, Downtown Business Association Manager and her three college interns: Meghan, Lindley and Kara and featured clothing and shoes from local shops. As far as we can tell, it is the first time such 'glamor' has been associated with public transit in the Valley. And it is long overdue!

We thought you might enjoy reading the tale of the photo shoot, and seeing the photos, all reprinted here with permission of the publisher, Tina Hemmerle, and the author/photographer, Alison Leigh:

“ … this month’s cover and centerfold photos is a tale of hilarity, necessity and injury. It is a tale of a few chicks who wanted to make something happen, and were willing to do whatever it took to make it so. It is a story that must be told.

We wanted to promote the LOOPapalooza event and showcase the amazing Samantha Schwartz in one issue. Perfect!

‘Let’s do the shoot ON the LOOP bus – brilliant idea! Yes! Let’s use clothing from Loose Threads and Shuze for the entire thing - excellent!’ we thought.

Samantha and her interns showed up at Exkandalo to see their clothing for the first time, get into hair, makeup and wardrobe and travel to the location of the shoot.

Turns out, brand new hire, the lovely Rita Perez, came in for training that day and ended up being thrown into the task of makeup for this shoot. Fresh out of beauty school, the girl took it on and rocked it! Kudos!

Then we styled the hair, put on the clothes, shuffled and re-shuffled the clothes between the girls, quickly sorted and resorted the garments, and finally matched all the models with outfits and shoes. Miraculously, it all worked, and the shows I grabbed from Shuze on South Side matched the outfits, even though I didn’t know the show sizes corresponded with each outfit. I felt pretty cool, indeed, how I pulled this shoot together.

‘Where do we go to do the shoot?’ I asked Samantha.

‘We are just going to a bus stop and get on it when it comes around.” She said.

‘So – we are shooting on the bus – while it’s running?’

‘YUP!’

I laughed, ‘Okay!’

In order not to wreck the borrowed soles, the ladies all wore their own footwear to board the bus and brought the shoes with. When we got on the Loop at Starter’s Riverport, there were like 8 people on the bus, and a screaming child to boot.

The ladies made their shoe change, and we began taking photos. The cover shot was literally the first photo I took. I asked the ladies for a diamond shape pose, and BAM! Diamond shape pose. Can these girls make things happen? Heck yeah!

I was then informed we either had 10 minutes or one hour for the entire shoot, and one hour was way too long. So within the next ten minutes we shot, we laughed, I bashed my shin against things, we laughed some more. It was 6 p.m. rush hour, and the bus was flying all around town, it was insane and awesome.

So, yes, the photos are a tad blurry, but you know what? Who cares? Anyone can learn how to technically take perfect pictures, but can anyone pull off what we pulled off? Hell no. To me, the photos are perfect.” Alison Leigh, Wink Magazine, September, 2010. Check out Wink Magazine's website by clicking here.

BTW, ridership on the LOOP on the Saturday of the fest was up over 1200%! Now THAT's a LOOPapalooza!

Welcome the 21st Century: Google Transit trip planner

2010-09-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

LANTA has been working for more than a year with Google Transit, the folks who furnish a free, online application that provides the public with details of what bus routes to take from one destination to another. It was a challenging task! In addition to all the work required to be completed in-house, a team of 4 went on the road for roughly 3 months to geo code all 2694 bus stops so they are satellite accurate. Staff has been assembling what seems to be a mountain of data and now Google Transit can be used by young and old alike to plan daily travel.

Wonder how it works?

Example question: Is it possible to travel by bus from 14^th and Main Street, Northampton to the Staples store at 3300 Lehigh Street, Allentown (South Mall)?

Answer: Now it’s as easy as going to http://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/transit/#mdy.

On the web site plug in the origin and destination addresses, along with the date and time you would like to travel and Google Transit will supply a map showing your requested route, the bus letter/number, time the trip will take, times the bus leaves, and transit cost compared to the cost of driving a personal vehicle.

The question above only requires one bus (Route D), but how will this service work with transfers?

Example question: Is it possible to travel by bus from Center City Allentown (6^th and Linden) to downtown Easton (Northampton Street)?

Answer: Again, it is as easy as going to http://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/transit/#mdy and plugging in the addresses of your origin and destination. (If you are not sure of an address, “Google Map” it first.) The resulting map will show you the bus number/letter and where to connect. Also, on the left side will be the times for the connection.

It’s magic!

Google Transit is currently running but in ‘beta’ format. To try it out, go to www.lehighvalleycommute.com and click on the Google Transit trip planner link. We ask that everyone bear with us as minor glitches are worked out. If you bump into any obvious errors with your queries, please forward the url to lanta@erols.com.

LANTA is proud to say that we are the third transit authority in Pennsylvania to be on Google Transit! The other two are Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Donald J. Mahoney

2010-08-26T05:05:00.000-07:00

Public transportation - and most specifically, the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) - lost a staunch supporter, a wise counsel and very dear friend, this week: Donald J. Mahoney. His obituary (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mcall/obituary.aspx?n=donald-j-mahoney&pid=144916963) lists his business interests, highlights his career, hobbies and his loving family ... we knew him best of course, for his long association with LANTA as a member of the Board of Directors.

Don was first appointed to the Board in 1978 by County Executive David Bausch for a five-year term and re-appointed for several terms after that. Don's strong suit, according to Mr. Bausch, was his many years of experience in the heavy duty vehicle sales and leasing industry. But, as we came to discover, Don's expertise was a good deal more broad.

Don's judgment, experience, ability to weigh all sides of an issue before offering an opinion were invaluable to the success that the Authority achieved over the past three decades. Of course, his ready smile and witty Irish sense of humor resulted in his being a pleasure to work with.

Over the 31 years of public service Don dedicated as a LANTA Board member, he served as Chairman of the Authority and also, at various times, as Chair of all the Authorities standing committees. He was Chair of the LANTA Operations/Metro Committee for many years. During Don's tenure, he assisted the decision-making process on a wide range of operating and capital improvements both in terms of vehicles and physical plant expansion. While Don was on the Board, LANTA purchased, more than 200 heavy-duty Metro city transit buses, and 500 minibuses for its Metro Plus paratransit divisions! A monumental achievement!

The community has been fortunate in the quality of leadership available for appointment to the various of boards and Authorities throughout Lehigh and Northampton Counties. Don Mahoney stands out as one of the truly sage and generous leaders who was there when the community needed him, and who moved on gracefully when his tenure came to an end.

Our thoughts are with his family who suffer his loss most dearly. We, to whom he was such a great and loyal friend for so many years, deeply mourn his passing. His contributions live on however, and the riding public in the Lehigh Valley enjoys the benefits of his stable leadership each and every time they board a modern, well-maintained bus.

We've missed him since he left our Board room a little over a year ago but at least on occasion, we could meet and break bread with him. Now, we don't even have that to look forward to and we miss him all the more.

Rest in peace, Don.

Focused Group

2010-08-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last week a group of LANTA Metro passengers sat down together over donuts and coffee and talked about how much they liked riding the bus. And they also spoke about how the system could be improved so that they and others like them might find it more useful.

The coffee klatch which took place in the later afternoon at the Allentown Transportation Center, lasted 2 hours and was facilitated by representatives of Brecon Hill and Thiel Design, two consulting firms out of Wisconsin that are helping LANTA redefine and upgrade its passenger information system.

Among the many recommendations that came out of the Moving LANTA Forward planning effort last year was one that said Metro bus information was difficult to understand. LANTA hired Brecon Hill/Thiel to help evaluate the information base further and to come up with an improved package for customers.

The bus rider meeting was very important in the process. Obviously, what riders say will weigh heavily on the outcome. The participants were selected over a two day period on a random basis. LANTA staff wearing shirts with the corporate logo and armed with a clipboard, approach customers at the Allentown Transportation Center inviting them to be involved. Twenty were invited: 18 showed up at the appointed time.

Out of what was a ‘study session,’ not a focus group, came a plethora of information and impressions:

. The LANTA Metro rider group was very positive about the transit system. While some depended upon Metro for all their transportation needs, others chose to use it because it saved money and was a convenience. Some also said it felt good to ride because it ‘helped the environment.’

. The riders knew one another because they rode the bus. They met on board and enjoyed seeing one another as their paths crossed riding the system. Half said that they only knew each other because of the bus and felt a sense of community because of the shared experience.

. No one complained about transit fares and, despite the fact that more than half of those present had to make bus transfers, no one complained about service access. Some of the things that were said:

“Metro is my lifeblood.”

“I use the bus 4 times a day – for work and for daycare. I could never get to my job if it were not for Metro.”

“Most drivers are helpful when I have a question.”

“I’m glad someone at the Metro Office speaks Spanish because that really helps when my Mom calls them.”

“I like Sunday service, I just wish there was more of it.”

Not all comments were positive: the group had their favorite drivers and those that they avoided. And they bemoaned the fact that service was limited at times and that buses did not run more frequently.

But this is all valuable input as the Authority looks to expand the system.

Over and over LANTA hears that the public wants more service. The major challenge continues to be how to pay for it.

Environmental Assessment and Public Hearing: Easton Intermodal Transportation Center

2010-07-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA), and the City of Easton, have completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed Easton Intermodal Transportation Center.

Click here to view the final draft of the Easton Intermodal Transportation Center Environmental Assessment

This EA has been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act for FTA as the lead federal agency. This project involves the construction of an intermodal transportation center along with a 3-level parking garage and a 3-story commercial building at 123 and 181 South Third Street (former Perkins Restaurant and Marquis Theatre properties) in the City of Easton, Northampton County.

The EA is available for public review online at www.lantabus.com and during regular business hours at the following locations:

City of Easton, Planning Bureau, City Hall, 3rd Floor
Easton Area Public Library, 515 Church Street
LANTA, Easton Office, 3610 Nicholas Street
LANTA, Main Office, 1060 Lehigh Street, Allentown

The public hearing will be held on Tuesday, August 17, 2010:

5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Informal Public Open House
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM Presentation and Public Comment Period

Location:

Grand Eastonian Suites Hotel
140 Northampton Street
Easton, PA

The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. Anyone requiring special accommodations for this meeting, or for more information, contact LANTA at (610) 435-4052.

A 30-day public review period for the EA begins July 21, 2010 and will end August 20, 2010 at 5:00 PM. Comments must be received by no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, August 20, 2010.

Comments may be made at the public hearing, or submitted in writing, faxed, or emailed to:

Mr. Armand Greco, Executive Director
Lehigh & Northampton Transportation Authority
1060 Lehigh Street
Allentown, PA 18103
Tel: (610) 435-4052; Fax: (610) 435-6774;

Email: agreco@lantabus-pa.gov

Lehigh Valley Commute

2010-07-10T18:14:00.001-07:00

Check out the new Lehigh Valley Commute site: transportation information for commuting in and about the Valley.

Electric cars versus Transit: Is it time to choose again?

2010-07-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Most have heard by now about the ''Great American Streetcar Conspiracy" with GM, Firestone, Standard Oil - and even Mack Trucks - through a company called National City Lines, worked to purchase and dispose of trolley and light rail lines in favor of rubber-tire buses in the 1950's. The film released a few years back: "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," was about the demise of the 'red line' trolley in Los Angeles - the land of the new American travel path: the 'freeway.'

The unintended consequence of this 'revolution' was that less attractive bus systems began to lose ridership big time as the love affair with the private auto in post-war America took hold.

As we look out upon the sea of automobiles moving in and out and around our urban areas on ribbons of expensive highways, while a skeletal system of public transit struggles to compete and to maintain balanced budgets with public subsidies, there is no doubt that the auto 'won' the hearts of Americans in the post WW II decades. And it took but a handful of decades to make the private transit systems unprofitable.

We quote this statistic: 50 million passengers rode the public transit system in the Lehigh Valley in the year 1950. By 1971, this figure dropped to 2.6 million! That loss of volume resulted in service cuts and fare increases until the public sector had to assume responsibility for a community asset that could not be let to disappear. In 1972, LANTA, the bi-county transit authority was created so that many who did not or could not own autos or drive had a public transit alternative.

Recently, fuel shortages and high energy costs and a movement to counter Urban sprawl has us at another crossroads. How the next few years sorts out with our mobility choices will have an impact on our nation likely for another set of decades to come.

Will low-cost, fuel efficient or alternative powered private automobiles be developed and marketed to replace the existing vehicle fleet or will governments - national, state and local - expand their support and funding for public transportation so that it again truly becomes a viable alternative to driving?

An interesting article on the electric vehicle versus transit is worth reading and pondering:

Which way should our future be influenced to unfold? And who is going to win or lose this next competition?

PennDOT Officials Review Carbon County Community Transit

2010-06-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

Pictured, from left to right are: Steve Panko and Anthony Steever, Officials from PennDOT and Denis Meyers, LANTA staff.

As part of their obligation under Federal Transit Administration (FTA) guidelines, representatives of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT’s) Rural Transit Division were on site in Allentown and Nesquehonging to conduct a thorough review of the Carbon County Community Transportation (CCCT) system.

Since 1996, LANTA has been managing the transit operation in Carbon County on behalf of that community. LANTA staff oversees the operations and submits plans and applications to PennDOT on behalf of Carbon, to provide door-to-door demand response Shared Ride services and the Lynx, a fixed-route service that links the major boroughs in the County.

The daily operations are provided by way of a subcontract with the private, for-profit Easton Coach Company of Forks Township.

PennDOT reviewed the financial management elements as well as the operation itself and inspected the fleet equipment that is purchased with FTA and state funds.

LANTA Testimony before House Transportation Committee June 3 at DeSales U

2010-06-06T08:09:00.000-07:00

Click here to read testimony delivered by Armando V. Greco, LANTA Executive Director, before PA House Transportation Committee June 3rd, 2010 at DeSales University.

Cash, tickets or passes: the same but with some tweaks

2010-05-31T03:44:00.000-07:00

Installers will be busy the weekend of June 5 and 6 installing new, state-of-the-art fareboxes on all 78 LANTA Metro city transit buses. The new fare collection system from GFI Genfare retains revenue security features while adding some new, customer friendly conveniences. As a result of this new technology passengers should be aware of the following changes.

1. Exact change continues to be preferred for all rides, but, in the event that someone overpays, the new farebox will produce 'paper change' - a voucher good for use for future bus fare payment.

2. Checks can no longer be accepted on the bus. Passengers wishing to pay with checks must purchase passes from LANTA offices, transit centers and current ticket agencies.*

3. A display screen facing the customer will show the total amount deposited.

4. LANTA Metro bus operators will no longer sell tickets or passes directly; all passes and tickets will be purchased through the new farebox. Repeat: all fare payments - cash, tickets and passes will go through the farebox. LANTA offices, transit centers and current ticket agencies will continue to sell passes.*

5. All 31-Day pass purchased through the farebox will be activated at the time of purchase. However, if you need to purchase a 31-day passes that is not activated (such as for a gift for later use) these will continue to be sold at agencies* and will not be activated until they are swiped through the box on board.

6. LANTA will no longer sell 40-Ride tickets after this week. The 10-ride ticket will be issued through the farebox.

7. ALL tickets and passes purchased prior to June 7th will still be accepted in the new fareboxes until they expire.

On Monday June 7th, boarding LANTA Metro buses may be slightly slower due to the new fareboxes as customers - and drivers - get acclimated to their unique features. Important note: NO changes in fares are being implemented with this change out of fareboxes.

*Metro tickets and passes are also sold at the following locations:

Allentown:
Allentown Transportation Center, 6th & Linden
Family Center, 8th and Hamilton Streets
Little Apple IGA, 7th and Allen Streets
LANTA Customer Service, 1060 Lehigh Street

Bethlehem:

Plaza Cards and Snacks in The Marketplace
Guetter and Broad Metro Transit Center, Downtown Bethlehem

Easton:

LANTA Customer Service, 3610 Nicholas Street, Palmer Township

2694

2010-05-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

The answer to the Lehigh Valley’s trivia question, How many bus stops are there in the LANTA Metro bus system? Is ........ 2,694!

We know for sure because we had a team out in the field for about 6 weeks visiting every one of them. And it was not just a count that we were trying to obtain: For Google Transit and for the new Automated Transportation Management System (ATMS) being implemented this Fall, we need precise geo code information for each and every stop. We needed a latitude and a longitude that could interact with satellite systems hovering over the planet and software and transponders in vehicles that could locate them exactly on the streets
and highways of the Valley.

Owen O’Neil, LANTA’s Director of Planning observes that “It was to us a monumental task when we started out back in March. After all, we were going to be physically visiting over 2500 locations from one end of the two Counties to the other! We thought we could complete it in 6 weeks but we really had no idea … it could have taken far more time than it did.”

A team of four, hired part-time for this specific assignment, used hand-held digital devices to record geo codes while standing at stops along with a small set of other relevant information about the location.

“We figured as long as we were out there and visiting each stop, we would gather other data.” notes O’Neil, “It was important to build a bus stop inventory for future improvements and maintenance purposes so we know exactly where there are signs, benches, shelters and where there are none.”

The inventory will help establish a work plan for installing new bus stop signs and additional passenger amenities in the coming months and years.

The field team also evaluated whether or not the stop was accessible according to guidelines set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In addition to creating an inventory, the data will be used in the ATMS system to provide passengers with real-time information about bus arrivals and departures at stops.

“Using a cellular phone or a PDA, customers will no longer have to wonder when the next bus is coming,” notes O’Neil, “They can access that via the internet.”

Bus schedule times will also be listed at signs at Metro’s major transfer hubs: the Allentown Transportation Center, Bethlehem Broad and Guetter, the Lehigh Valley Mall and eventually, the Easton Intermodal Transportation Center.

When completed, public transit will truly have entered the 21st century in the Lehigh Valley.

State Funding Crisis: Current LANTA Operation and Future Growth in Jeopardy

2010-05-11T06:39:00.001-07:00

Governor Edward Rendell held a special and extraordinary session with the General Assembly on Tuesday May 4 to address immediate and long-term shortfalls of transportation funding in Pennsylvania. “Failure to implement either the tolling measure on Interstate 80 or other revenue enhancements will have a direct effect on both capital and operating programs for public transit agencies across the state,” said Armand Greco, LANTA Executive Director.

The statewide implications include an immediate $484-million capital shortfall and an operating funding freeze.

When Act 44 was passed in 2007 it was designed to provide for a predictable, sustainable and growing source of revenue for both highways and public transportation systems throughout the Commonwealth. The revenue to properly fund Act 44 was predicated upon I-80 being converted to a toll road along with annual toll increases to the existing Pennsylvania Turnpike.

“Without the revenue that Act 44 envisioned Pennsylvania will continue to struggle to maintain its highways and bridges, and, most significantly to LANTA and its riders, public transportation systems will be in an ongoing funding crisis,” according to Greco.

Effective July 1, 2010, transit systems will lose $160 million annually, nearly eliminating the Act 44 capital program. The loss of capital funding presents serious problems for LANTA which risks losing almost seven million additional dollars of Federal capital funds because State capital funds are used to match federal dollars.

LANTA has several capital projects that will be impacted in the near future without adequate State capital funding. Among them are:

· City transit vehicle replacement
LANTA has been very attentive in meeting its capital needs. The number one capital priority is vehicle replacement. Older vehicles are subject to more frequent breakdowns and maintenance. By ensuring vehicles have not exceeded the recommended useful life, the Authority is able to keep maintenance costs lower. In addition, they are able to improve service quality by minimizing system failures. LANTA’s current 12-year capital plan includes $16,400,000 for vehicle replacements over the next three years.

· Fleet expansion
LANTA recently completed a year-long Regional Transportation Development Program (“Moving LANTA Forward”). The study, which included significant public input, recommended substantial service expansion in terms of service area and frequency. Without adequate State funding, the expansion will be not happen. Current 12-year capital plans include $6,000,000 for vehicle expansion over the next three years.

· Alternative fuel vehicles
LANTA is in the process of receiving delivery of 5 hybrid vehicles. These combination electric/diesel powered vehicles sharply reduce pollutants and provide improvement in fuel economy. Without additional capital funding, LANTA will be unable to proceed with plans to expand the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles. These vehicles, because they are new technology, cost about 60% more than regular diesel fleet vehicles. If there are funding constraints, lower cost, higher polluting vehicles will be purchased.

· Maintenance Facility Renovation/Expansion
LANTA is working with an engineering form to design a new state-of-the-art maintenance facility. The existing bus maintenance garage, built in 1953, is not adequate to service LANTA’s 78 vehicle fleet, plus the five hybrid buses that will arrive later this summer. Due to the maintenance garage size constraint it is necessary for some bus work to be completed in other areas of LANTA’s facility.

In addition to the capital funding shortfall, transit will not be afforded the growing source of operating funds promised in Act 44. This will certainly result in LANTA not being in the position to carry through with some, if not all, of the Moving LANTA Forward plans for service expansion and, even worse, may lead to service reductions.

“Pennsylvania needs a long-term transportation investment plan that supports a safe, growing and reliable transportation network that includes public transportation,” Greco said. “We are pleased that the Governor called for a special session of the legislature to address this issue,” he added.

State of Good Repair

2010-05-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Federal Transit Administration, as part of the follow-through on the Obama Administration’s commitment to improving and expanding public transit services in the US, announced a major new funding initiative to address capital and perhaps operating deficiencies in the industry.

In an address to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) conference in Cleveland, Ohio, the FTA Administrator announced the ‘State of Good Repair’ program as reported by that organization in an email blast sent out over the weekend:

“Peter M. Rogoff, administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), announced a new federal grant program offering $775 million in competitive grants for bus state of good repair—open to all bus operators, ‘large, small, urban, and rural’—during his keynote speech May 2 before an audience of approximately 630 transit professionals at the Opening General Session of the APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference in Cleveland Ohio.

The administrator spoke candidly about the current economic situation, and said: ‘I want to assure you that today’s FTA is facing these issues with our eyes wide open.’

Rogoff discussed the administration’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget recommendation, stating that ‘far and away the largest percentage increase is just for state of good repair.’ He took pains to make clear that ‘FTA is equally focused on the state of good repair on the rail and the bus systems.’

Under the proposed budget. the bus share will be no less than it is right now and would provide bus riders with a predictable stream of formula funding that currently does not exist.

He concluded by thanking the participants for ‘showing that money in transit is money well spent.’ Rogoff then said: ‘We need to step up our game even when financial times are hard—we need to do things harder and smarter. And as we are stepping up our game, we look forward to being your full partner as you step up yours.’”

The “State of Good Repair” capital projects initiative will make funds available to public transit providers to finance capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct/rehabilitate bus-related facilities, including programs of bus and bus related projects which may include assistance to sub-recipients that are public agencies, private companies engaged in public transportation, or private non-profit organizations. The FTA has set forth priorities for the discretionary funds, the criteria FTA will use to identify meritorious projects for funding, and a description of how to apply.

LANTA staff are reviewing the FTA regulations and application guidelines now to see how these funds could be applied locally. If appropriate, an application will be submitted for this national discretionary fund program.

“We’d like to continue to replace our existing diesel bus fleet with hybrid vehicles,” notes Armand Greco, LANTA Executive Director, “And we are exploring the potential benefits of substituting these funds for current operating obligations to see if that would help the Authority over time fund its major capital programs.”

Five new hybrid vehicles are set to be delivered at the end of May to be placed into service sometime in June, 2010.

Tweets and Blasts, Fans and Friends

2010-03-30T06:54:00.000-07:00

During an unusually difficult winter snow season, the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) kept its passengers informed not only with traditional means – notices to the print and electronic media, recorded ‘phone messages and web site alerts – but through social networking methods: Twitter and Facebook.

Last year, the Authority established a presence on Twitter (LANTALV at http://twitter.com/) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Allentown-PA/LANTA-Lehigh-Valley-Metro/129767331032?ref=mf) and ‘joined’ the two media so that a posting, or Tweet, on Twitter appeared on the Facebook fan page. The message also appears simultaneously on LANTA Web log (http://movinglantaforward.blogspot.com/). All the social networking sites are listed at the bottom of the pages of LANTA’s website (www.lantabus.com).

“While obviously a wide information reach is attained through traditional media outlets, we are now reaching out more directly to interested individuals through online, social media outlets,” notes Denis Meyers, LANTA’s Assistant Executive Director for Development. “The print media, which is gaining more and more of an online presence locally, even linked routinely to our social media outlets to keep the public informed of the status of the transit system. LANTA’s messages became the media messages with a single click.”

Meyers notes that the messages also go to smart phones and PDA devices subsctibers.

“We’ve provided PDA and cellular phone access to our static schedules for several years now, but it is very satisfying to raise the contact level to this interactive state to give high interest residents instant messages about the transit operations.” Meyers points out.

It was particularly important to get information out this year due to the extreme severity of the weather conditions in this mid-eastern Pennsylvania community with a service area population of just over 390,000.

“For the first time in two decades, LANTA Metro had to cancel services due to severe snow conditions,” Meyers reports. “It was vital that we reached our passenger base before they ventured out into the winter storm to catch their morning bus.”

Feedback on the new communications system has been positive. And LANTA believes that this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of interactive information systems available for customers.

“We are in the midst of a year-long project to implement real-time passenger information within our system,” notes Meyers. “By the Winter of 2010-2011, passengers will be able to get real-time schedule updates on the transit system through a variety of means: Internet, signs at major transfer hubs, cellular ‘phone and PDA.”

R.I.P.

2010-03-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

A message from the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, Fred A. Williams:

"Our thoughts and our prayers go out for this young boy, his parents and his family, and also the driver who was involved in this tragic event. It's a difficult time for all the people that are involved. But on behalf of the board of directors, the drivers, the staff of LANTA, we all mourn the loss of this young man and his tragic event."

Moving LANTA Forward: Final Report Issued

2010-03-09T06:08:00.000-08:00

The final report for the Moving LANTA Forward Regional Transportation Development plan has been published. The recommendations contained in the report were adopted by resolution by LANTA's Board of Directors at their January meeting.

Essentially, the plan commits the Board to growing the public transportation system while, at the same time, predicating that growth upon available funding and the commitment by the community to implement transit friendly design elements.

In addition to service expansion, the plan calls for more visability for the transit system, enhanced passenger amenities such as shelters and benches and a more user-friendly system of public information.

Click on the cover of the report above to obtain a complete copy in pdf format.

Ridership Continiues to Grow

2010-03-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

What goes up, must come down

Well not always.

Especially when it comes to gas prices at the pump and ridership on LANTA’s Metro bus system.

How many people ride LANTA Metro buses? More than you realize! Metro attracts people from all walks of life and takes them where they need to go: employment, medical appointments, shopping, church, schools and educational facilities, libraries, parks, family and friend gatherings, just to name a few.

Ridership levels on Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority’s buses appear to follow the course mapped by fuel prices. Bus travel was at its highest during the first half of Fiscal Year 2008-2009 (July 1, 2008 – December 31, 2008). Statistics show that more than 3,175,000 trips were taken on Metro during this time frame.

To what do we credit this factor? Think back: the start of FY 2008-2009 saw a spike in fuel prices. When prices at the pump topped $4 a gallon, some people were motivated to leave their costly vehicles at home and take the bus. As prices slowly began to fall some bus riders returned to driving their personal vehicles, but a great many of them remain steady Metro customers.

LANTA’s ridership for the first half of the current Fiscal Year 2009-2010 (July 1, 2009 – December 31, 2009) comes in a tad lower than the previous fiscal year, at 3,140,304 passenger trips.

This is only 1.1 percent less than the previous period. LANTA has retained an impressive 90% of the rider growth gained during the gas price surge! Obviously, those who gave the bus a try, liked the experience and are still enjoying the savings even as gas prices have dropped to around $2.60 a gallon - about a 35% drop from the $4 high last year!

Through the new Moving LANTA Forward transit development plan for restructured and expanded service, Metro will become accessible to more people.

It looks as if the sky's the limit for gaining new riders and once people climb aboard, they tend to become loyal Metro riders.

Easton Intermodal Presentation & Comment Form

2010-02-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

To view the presentation for the public meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 18, please click here.

This is a power point presentation designed to introduce the project, review its purpose and scope and outline the funding requirements.

If you wish to submit comments to be considered as part of the planning process, please find a comment form here

Comments, suggestions, input are welcome in any format and can be emailed to: agreco@lantabus-pa.gov

Public Meeting: Easton Intermodal Transit Center

2010-01-26T06:38:00.000-08:00

Meeting Announcement: Proposed Easton Intermodal Transit Center Project

This project involves the construction of an intermodal transit center along with a 2 - 3 story level parking garage and a 3 story commercial building at 123 and 181 South Third Street (former Perkins Restaurant and Marquis Theatre properties) in the City of Easton, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

The meeting will be held Thursday, February 18, 2010, Easton Council Chambers, 1 South Third Street, Easton

The purpose of the meeting is to introduce the project and to provide interested individuals an opportunity early in the project design and planning phase to submit comments and suggestions. In accord with the National Environmental Policy Act, an Environmental Assessment (EA) document will be prepared in advance of the project approval. It is anticipated that the EA will be available for public review and comment in May.

The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. Anyone requiring special accommodations for this meeting, or for additional information, please contact:

Armando V. Greco, Executive Director

Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority

1060 Lehigh Street

Allentown, PA 18103

agreco@lantabus-pa.gov

Job Fair at LANTA - Bus Operators

2009-12-28T10:19:00.000-08:00

LANTA is hosting a job fair for prospective bus operators. If you have had experience driving a bus or heavy equipment and are seeking a rewarding, challenging career, then perhaps you should apply. A clean driving record, high school degree or equivalent is required. Applications must also be at least 21 years of age.

The Job Fair is Saturday and Sunday, January 9-10, 2010.

Time: 9 a.m. to Noon

Location: LANTA Offices at 1060 Lehigh Street, Allentown, PA

Employment applications are available online to print out and review:

Click here

Land Use Toolkit

2009-12-19T08:08:00.000-08:00

The final draft of the Lehigh Valley Land Use Toolkit is now available. This is the educational tool that the Authority will be presenting to area planning professionals in order to communicate the importance of transit-friendly design. For the past 60 years, land use has focused on planning based on the use of the single-occupancy automobile. If the Valley doesn't plan for the use of public transit, the likelihood that transit will thrive - indeed that it will survive - is doubtful.

Click here to take a look.

Carbon footprints and transit

2009-11-01T04:28:00.000-08:00

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has developed a wealth of information to encourage greater use of public transportation. One of the 'tools' at thier website is a calculator to determine how much of a contribution to reducing one's 'carbon footprint' riding transit would make. Click here or on the green foot to try it, it's fun!

Land use in the Lehigh Valley

2009-10-20T05:36:00.000-07:00

Land Use

One of the major findings of the Moving LANTA Forward planning process is that in the diverse and complex community called the Lehigh Valley, that use of land as designed by the 62 area municipalities has not exactly been 'transit friendly.' Nothing works against an efficient and productive transit system more than urban sprawl and looking at an aerial view of the Valley, we've sprawled big time! Over the years, many saw this as a viable economic development approach as community leaders strove to attract new businesses and residents to the area. But this has played havoc with transit planning and development.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's Comprehensive Plan for the Lehigh Valley has, for decades, recommended that development be encouraged only in those areas where infrastructure - roads, utilities, transit - are already place: generally in the urbanized areas. Local developers and municipalities found that low cost farmland outside the urbanized areas too tempting to resist and thus industrial parks nearly ring the Cities. Commute and travel patterns, as a result, create nearly an impossible obstacle to the growth of public transit services.

So, the question is: Can the Genie be put back into the bottle?

The planners optimistically say "Yes" and have developed a power point presentation to be used by the Authority to educate municipal leaders as to the benefits of transit oriented design over the coming weeks and months. How convincing and acceptable this will be to municipalities eagerly looking to expand their tax base remains to be seen.

One thing is certain: if transit is NOT included in the local planning process by each municipality, the community is effectively planning transit OUT of the local transportation system. These are not decisions that LANTA or the Counties it serves makes but are made by the 62 area municipalities independently.

What do you think?

Click here for the Land Use power point presentation.

Moving LANTA Forward Public Meetings

2009-06-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

On Monday, June 22, Tuesday, June 23, and Wednesday, June 24, the Authority staff and its consultants, the Abrams-Cherwony Group of Gannett-Fleming, invited the public to listen to and view a presentation on the status of the plan for improving public transportation in the Lehigh Valley.

The planning began last year with a series of intensive public meetings and surveys and it is only fitting, that as the process nears the end, that the public have a change to look at the vision for transit in the Valley that they helped to shape. The presentation, which can be viewed by clicking here, covered all aspects of the plan but focused on the recommendations for phasing in improvements to the transit system.

As one online newspaper article noted, LANTA "sees its future as faster, more frequent and simple" to understand.

While attendance at the 6 public meetings was low – there were two meetings each held in center city locations in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton – those who attended were motivated and vocal. Many asked questions. Many also had suggestions – some specific about routes and schedules and others more general about frequencies, service area coverage and the modes of public transit they would like to see created.

Here is a sample of the questions and comments we recorded during the meetings:

I am quite pleased with the bus system. The future plans should improve services to inter-city bus terminals such as Bieber and Trans-Bridge.

Will the added service improve access? Will schedules be easier to read? Seems that the main or trunk routes might be easy to understand, but the outer loops will still be complex.

How do we sell or market transit to those who don’t want to use it?

Questions were asked about transit for seniors and people with disabilities and specific suggestions were made about expanding service to areas where there are high concentrations of elderly folks.

How does the new Bethlehem Loop fit into this plan? It is a great idea. Local businesses should work with LANTA to make sure it is a success so that we can keep it.

There should be expanded service and more frequent service. Wondered if there is a financial plan that will make this plan happen or is it just a dream?

The exhaust from buses is adding to an already poor air quality in the Valley. The Valley is a non-attainment area and is one of the worst in terms of air quality in the US. All new buses should be clean energy; older buses should be retro-fit with filters and cleaning devices.

Where will the next transit center be located?

Satellite hubs are a good idea but they should be located at current destinations such as boroughs or major commercial or employment centers where there is already demand.

Some people in the community are trying to keep young professionals in the community; can the bus service be adjusted to meet their needs for evening and weekend entertainment?

The community should get together – Industrial Park employers, merchants, everyone – and make up their minds to promote public transit use.

We need more park and ride lots to make it convenient for people to ride transit. Cooperate with PennDOT and build more parking lots.

There should be rail service to NYC and good connections to it by transit in the Valley.

These and other thoughtful and constructive questions and comments will be included in the discussions with the LANTA Board of Directors as they move forward to adopt the recommendations coming out of the study.

The future of transit looks very bright indeed. Now, the hard work begins to make this vision a reality!

LANTA Announces Public Meetings to review study findings

2009-06-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

Come One…Come All

Moving LANTA Forward…Public Meeting Schedule

“Moving LANTA Forward” is the prime topic of discussion; reviewing LANTA’s transportation development plan along with the Land Use Planning Tool element is the purpose.

The process began with a series of intensive public meetings and surveys last year and has developed into a proposal for expanded transit services over three long-term phases. The phases are focused on simplifying the LANTA system, expanding LANTA service, and eventually implementing alternatives to basic, fixed-route service. At the meetings, presentations will be made reviewing the proposed plans which allow our community to grow and expand.

Each day the meetings be at 3:00 p.m. and then again at 7:00 p.m. We hope you will find the time to attend one of the six upcoming meetings conveniently located at:

• Monday, June 22, Lehigh County Government Center, 7th Street, Allentown

• Tuesday, June 23, Bethlehem City Hall Rotunda

• Wednesday, June 24, United Church of Christ, 27 N. 3rd St., Easton

The power point document being presented at the meetings can be found by clicking on this link.

Public Transportation is an important part of everyone’s life, whether or not you are current a rider. Keep in mind input and discussion coming from these meetings will aid LANTA’s overall plans for the future of the Valley.

Contact us:

LANTA Route and Schedule information – 610-776-RIDE

LANTA offices – 610-435-4517
E-mail: lanta@lantabus-pa.gov

Visit us online: www.lantabus.com

Advisory Committee reviews study recommendations

2009-06-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

The “Moving LANTA Forward” Advisory Committee, 70 concerned citizens representing different walks of life throughout the Lehigh Valley, met Wednesday, May 6^th.

This was a forum to discuss LANTA’s role in the Valley from a land use perspective, how the Authority compared with transit agencies similar in size and service area across the country and what the consultants believed the community could support in terms of growth in services.

Given, through the extensive public input process followed during the planning process, the community’s desire for ‘more public transportation’ in the Valley, one of the prime challenges is implementing significant growth with the moderate growth in financial support that is anticipated at all government levels. To make this equation even more challenging, since the study was started in March, 2008, a major recession has occurred in the US and it has become clear that the growth in funding anticipated from the State of Pennsylvania is not forthcoming.

LANTA’s consultant proposed marketing strategies and land use recommendations for the groups’ consideration along with the phased plan for growth over the next 12 years.
The marketing approach dealt with ‘branding’ and image issues and how to achieve rider growth and retention given limited resources and staff.

Aspects of the land use plan – concentrated growth in urban areas and transit friendly design - require cooperation on the local, state, and federal levels. Local communities – Counties, cites, townships and boroughs – if they desire increased transit services, may have to measure their investments both in terms of land use and financial support.

The service plan presented is a 3-phased plan for the period 2010 through 2022. It was stressed that connecting land use and transit oriented design is vital for success, particularly if the Lehigh Valley wishes to transition to higher‐ridership transit modes such as express bus and light rail. The plan proposes specific goals for land use and also recommends passenger amenities – shelters and well-designed bus stops - necessary to support an enhanced, innovative and dynamic transit system.

Fred Williams, LANTA Board Chairman stated, “This is an excellent blueprint for growth. I hope we can achieve it. Key to our success will be finding out if there is sufficient interest from the public and local government to commit to such an aggressive plan. This is what the public has asked for. Now the question is, is the public willing to pay for it?”

The 3-year proposed marketing plan focuses on the 3 R’s for transit: recruitment of riders, retention of riders, and reputation of the system. Also essential to the marketing strategy are the 4 P’s: product, pricing, place and promotion. The consultant also noted that the Authority has limited human resources dedicated to the marketing effort and should consider investment in this area.

The Committee left the forum with an understanding of the possibilities as well as the awareness of the challenges that any such plan for growth presents.

As one member of the group noted, “There are some very large numbers being presented here, in terms of local commitment. Does our community have the ‘will’ to produce the revenue needed to obtain the services they say they want?”

Moving LANTA Forward has tangibles

2009-04-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

LANTA’s regional development plan Advisory Committee met February 4th to review service alternatives. Three phases are proposed for expanding public transit in the Valley:

Phase 1- Improving the Core System.

The first proposed phase of the regional transit development plan focuses on simplifying our route structures and making a number of key improvements. These suggestions call for more north/south routes, running multiple routes on the busiest corridors, added weekend and evening service, and buses operating on trunk routes every 10-15 minutes in the peak.

This phase could include an improved limited stop express service, like the current Silver Line and a ride request, curb-to-curb service within limited areas. This reservation service could become a model to expand access in the suburbs.

Phase 2 – Expanded suburban service.

A suburban connection network would have suburban satellite hubs and connections between to include Park-n-Ride facilities and LVIP I. This service could include flexible ‘off-route’ services along corridors between hubs that could change daily based on passenger reservations. The map above is an example of what a map of where suburban hubs could be placed.

Phase 3 - Bus rapid Transit.

The ‘latest thing’ in public transit, Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, means limited stop service along major corridors. BRT would require capital improvements such passenger amenities and new technology for fares and passenger information.

With the three phases completed, LANTA could be running an additional 225,000 revenue hours per year!!

With the establishment of effective BRT services, there is the potential for higher modes of transit including light rail.

Phase 4 – Rail Modes Planning

Phase 4 of the recommendations deals with Commuter and Light Rail. Current population densities in the Valley do not call for either type of rail in the near future. Down the road, however, LANTA will need to 1) be part of any planning process 2) be prepared to adjust service to rail stations and 3) preserve rights-of-way for future rail path purposes.

While there are discussions about service into New Jersey and coming up from Philadelphia, these are not on the drawing board as yet. However, LANTA should be involved in the discussions and prepared to respond should plans be developed for implementing commuter and/or light rail.

Advisory Committee looks to Move LANTA Forward

2008-10-28T05:17:00.000-07:00

The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) is in the process of developing a new regional plan for transit. The Board held a workshop meeting on October 14 and the third meeting of the Regional Development Plan Advisory Committee took place on October 22. At both meetings, the Authority’s consultants provided a glimpse at the potential future of transportation in the Valley.

Prior to the presentation, LANTA held a series of public meetings, surveyed bus riders and residents of the Lehigh valley, studied demographics, reviewed similar-sized transportation systems throughout the country and obtained input from LANTA staff, drivers, and Board members. In addition, a special survey of community leaders was conducted and, of course, input was gathered through the Regional Plan Advisory Committee meetings.

Based on what LANTA has heard the community is seeking, the Abrams-Cherwony Group consultants, presented the Advisory Committee with a proposal for a phased set of improvements that could guide how LANTA services grow.

It was stressed that the plans presented are potential alternatives and that LANTA needs to evaluate them further. But the proposals set forth are exciting.
Following a complete evaluation of alternatives and costs, the Authority will host additional Advisory Committee and public meetings to gain input on the plan.

The goal of this process is for the LANTA Board to approve an official plan by March, 2009.

Transit Alternatives: A wide range of service improvements

The transit alternatives presented by the Abrams-Cherwony Group include a three-phased program beginning with “improving user friendliness,” “reducing complexity” and increased frequency on designated trunk routes, consultant Owen O’Neal said during the presentation.

Phase I of the project suggests providing mobility for people “to move throughout the region quickly and in an efficient way,” O’Neal said. The alternative essentially would realign bus routes to maximize trip frequency.

The phase centers on “connecting major [traffic] generating routes,” and, in a response to public input, suggests the creation of cross-town services. For example, routes running North and South on Cedar Crest Boulevard and Seventeenth Street without operating to the central business district, O’Neal said were examples of cross-town services.

“We’re making sure the level of service is meeting the changing environment,” O’Neal said, adding that bus service may focus on passengers who commute to work and retail areas, such as the casino underway in Bethlehem and the major retail developments being built in Easton and Allentown.

In the presentation, O’Neal said that Phase I would mean LANTA buses could provide “feeder services” to other long-distance commuter bus services.

Phase II of the suggested transit alternatives calls for a “higher level of service to an expanded area,” O’Neal said.

Suburban hubs, or “rings around the core” LANTA service area, may emerge in areas “depending on expansion and growth,” O’Neal said. The hubs, suggested for areas such as Emmaus, Nazareth and Coopersburg, would connect to the central bus district along higher frequency routes. The phase may even call for “hub-to-hub, peripheral connections,” according to O’Neal.

The third phase of the alternative calls for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). This type of system has buses operating along high-traffic corridors resulting in shorter trip times and more direct service.

There has been “a lot of talk and discussion” about commuter rail service, Walter Cherwony, of the Abrams-Cherwony Group said. If deemed appropriate, existing tracks west of Philipsburg and north of Shelly could be preserved for future commuter rail options. If a commuter rail service were to be implemented, LANTA could provide a feeder bus service to rail stations, Cherwony said.

“Nothing is specific,” O’Neal said of the three-phase timeline, and added that the phases “are not mutually exclusive,” which means that parts of Phase I and Phase II could be completed simultaneously. “Full completion depends on local desire” and sufficient fund resources he said.

Transportation and Land Use: Inextricably Linked

As part of the Regional Development Plan, LANTA is beginning the process of studying land use strategies needed to support potential transit alternatives. The consulting firm of Gannett-Fleming, represented by Susan Gibbon, presented the Board and the Advisory Committee with information on how land use effects transportation.

“LANTA does not control land use or highway infrastructure,” Gibbon said. Land use is determined at a municipal level, while transportation infrastructure – roads and highways - are determined by the state, Gibbon said.

“Land use and transportation are inextricably linked,” Gibbon said, adding that land use policies could improve transit operations and could increase ridership as well as the frequency and destination of trips.

Gibbon suggested that LANTA work closely with local municipalities to determine land use and to keep transit in mind while doing so, Gibbon said. The consultant said that a variety of housing in urban development areas, redeveloping abandoned properties, as well as zoning ordinances and municipal codes could all be used to create a more transit-friendly area.

For a basic transit system, there are a few requirements, Gibbon said. The surrounding areas must have medium population density, “walkability” – which includes things like sidewalks and areas that are safe for pedestrians – a connected roadway network and areas concentrated with residential and employment centers.

Traditional towns and urban areas, like Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton are “easy to serve with transit,” Gibbon said. They have continuous sidewalks, are densely populated, and have a good mix of residential, retail and employment buildings.

Modern suburban and rural developments are difficult to serve with transit since they lack sidewalks, have buildings set back far from the street, have low population density and road configurations that are difficult to serve with transit, Gibbon said. “Buses cannot serve cul-de-sacs,” she said.

Gibbon provided the committee with land use strategies that could advance the three phases of the Regional Development Plan.

In Phase I, Gibbon’s suggested focusing on zoning and ordinances to promote transit in both traditional and new neighborhoods.

A few possible changes to promote transit include distinctive bus-stop signs and poles, bus shelters and routing information in both urban and suburban areas. Gibbon called new bus-stop signs and shelters a “pretty low investment” for providing thorough “information and functionality.”

Phase II of the development plan intends to bring a “higher level of service to an expanded service area” and may include transit hubs in historic centers and typical suburban employment centers.

The population of the Lehigh Valley is not high enough along the main transit routes for higher modes of transit to be warranted or successful as suggested in Phase III of the plan, Gibbon said. However, steps could be taken to make it more likely. If new developments focused on being transit-friendly, Gibbon said, the increase in population density could create the right conditions for higher modes of transit, like Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or light rail.

To implement land use strategies beneficial to transit, Gibbon mentioned that LANTA could assume an active role in promoting appropriate land use planning and development decisions throughout the Lehigh Valley, Gibbon said.

Getting involved with local municipalities and their development proposals and plan approval processes are two more steps toward improving LANTA’s ability to use the land.

The Next Step

After the Authority and the Board evaluates the alternatives and costs completely, LANTA will hold additional committee and public meetings to receive further input on the plan. It is LANTA’s goal to have a Regional Development Plan approved by March 2009.

October 30, 2008

Regional Advisory Committee Meets Oct 22

2008-10-24T06:21:00.001-07:00

A Regional Transportation Development Program Advisory Committee Meeting took place on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at the Fowler Family Southside Campus, NCC in Bethlehem.

Representatives of Abrams-Cherwony, the lead consultants for this study, presented a power point presentation on the possible improvements to the transit system that could take place over the next 3 to 10 years.

A more detailed review of these alternatives and the feedback from the Committee will be published here shortly.

The future looks bright for public transit in the Lehigh Valley!

Regional Advisory Committee meets August 20

2008-10-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

The Regional Transportation Development Program Advisory Committee Meeting took place on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 at the Fowler Family Southside Campus, NCC in Bethlehem.

Walter Cherwony of Abrams-Cherwony, Inc, the lead consultants for this study, presented a power point presentation on the progress of the effort to date. This included a description of the existing LANTA system of transit service, a comparison of LANTA to 10 ‘peers,’ as well as the ‘outcome’ of the public rider and non-rider survey, an expert panel review of the system and comments from the Advisory Committee from the May 28th meeting. The group was asked then asked to discuss ‘what LANTA should look like’ in the future. The responses are posted here. Click on the link in the navigation column on the right on this page.

Regional Transportation Development Plan Advisory Committee Met May 28, 2008

2008-06-24T12:12:00.001-07:00

The Regional Transportation Development Plan Advisory Committee met on May 28, 2008. The Advisory Committee is made up of consumers, community leaders, elected officials, business people, government representatives - a cross-section of folks LANTA and its consultant invited to participate in the planning process to help broaden the thinking and with the objective of fashioning aspects of the final product that are reflective of the Lehigh Valley community.

Part of the meeting was the requisite 'workshop session' where the committee was invited to respond to these questions:

. Provide opinions and observations as well as identify suggested service and operational improvements for LANTA’s bus service.

. Provide opinions and observations regarding LANTA Metro Plus operations

. Provide a vision of what transportation should look like in the Lehigh Valley 10 to 30 years from now.

Notes were taken of the Committee's collective response and they are online for your reference. Click the Moving LANTA Forward logo on the right of this blog to navigate to the notes.

Regional Transportation Development Plan

2008-04-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Act 44, the funding legislation that was passed in Harrisburg this past summer, will provide enhanced funding for highway and transit projects in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) is embarking on a process to help determine where to invest these additional funds.

The last comprehensive examination of public transportation occurred in 1985. At that time, the “Metro” system of service was introduced which responded then to the impact of the loss of major employment centers in the urbanized area and the shift to destinations in the more rural portions of the Valley. Since then, LANTA has made many modifications to the basic system of service based on an ongoing service review process, and experienced significant gains in ridership. Since 1997, LANTA ridership of the public transportation system has grown 67%.

But the Lehigh Valley is continuing to grow and change in terms of both population and jobs. The Authority has determined that it needs to prepare a long range vision for public transportation and a service development program and policies that will guide LANTA efforts in the next 5 to 10 years.

The Authority sought proposals from qualified individuals/firms to develop a regional public transportation development plan for the Valley in the fall of last year. Three firms responded and after an extensive review and interview process, Abrams & Cherwony Inc., a Philadelphia based firm was selected.

The process which started in March, is expected to take a year and will involve an extensive review of the existing transit system, a determination on how best to meet the community’s changing needs for service, and deliver a set of recommendations in order to achieve the most effective and productive transit system possible.

The public input portion of this effort is extremely important. And LANTA would like all those who have an interest in public transportation, to participate in the planning process.

Information will be forthcoming in the next few months as to what format through which this input will be gathered. Most likely, this will involve many meetings with a wide range of participants to gather ideas and input.

LANTA and its consultant are relying heavily on data provided by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission through its elaborate GIS mapping system as well as its computerized transportation model for evaluating route structure and predicting ridership.

The goal is to invest in a public transportation network that meet demands now and well into the future in the Lehigh Valley.

It is expected that recommendations for change will be before the Authority in March/April of 2009.

Welcome

2008-04-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

As noted in the profile for this blog, this web location is meant to provide residents of the Lehigh Valley (and others interested in public transit) to comment, suggest and engage in discussions about the future of transit.

The Lehigh Valley is one of the fastest growing areas in Pennsylvania. Its change from a manufacturing-based community to a 'service' community over the past 5 decades has dramatically altered the demand for public transit. In addition, the urban sprawl that has taken place has challenged the ability of transit to respond to changes in travel and commute demands.

Nonetheless, demand for transit has been strong over the years. And during the past decade - 1997-2007 - ridership on the local Metro bus system has grown by 67%.

We can talk more about the past here, but this blog is about the future. Where should new investment in public transit take place in the Valley? This is the central question that needs to be answered and we look forward to a lively and productive discussion!