DigitalCT THE PENNSYLVANIA TRANSIT TOUR

www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 1 Features

Click on the logo or text to read each article Departments 4 From the Editor

Editor-in-Chief 6 The Commentary Scott Bogren 8 Our Pennsylvania Members Editor 12 Seasons of Transit Tours Rich Sampson Past

Contributors Allentown Harrisburg 28 About Us Anthony Frederick Page 9 Page 14 Taylor McGinley Shawna Russell Caryn Souza

Circulation Please direct all circulation questions to [email protected]

Finance Tulani Gilyard Indiana Blue Bell Page 17 Page 21

Editorial Offices 1341 G Street, NW - Suite 250 Washington, DC 20005 Email: [email protected] Our cover map highlights CTAA’s transportation provider members in Web: www.ctaa.org/ct Pennsylvania and the areas they serve. From top to bottom, left to right: Crawford Area Transportation Authority (red), Butler Transit Authority (blue), Beaver County Transportation Authority (orange), Freedom Transit (yellow), Westmoreland Advertising Sales Tom Smill County Transportation Authority (purple), Town & Country Transit (yellow), IndiGo Associations, Inc. (green), Amtran (blue), Lewiston Call-a-Ride (yellow), rabbittransit (red), Center Phone: 515-201-3133 for Community Building (purple), County of Lackawanna Transit System (blue Email: [email protected] Butler with yellow routes), Lehigh & Northampton Transportation Authority (blue) and Suburban Transit Network (orange). rabbittransit operates regional routes (in Page 26 black) as far south as Baltimore’s suburbs, while CTAA member Mountain Line operates the Grey Line intercity bus service from Fairmont and Morgantown, W.Va., to the Pittsburgh International Airport.

www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 2 www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 3 From the Editor The Pennsylvania Transit Tour: Coming Soon...

Given Pennsylvania’s proximity to CTAA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., we made several trips to visit 10 of our 34 members in the Keystone State. CTAA Executive Director Scott Bogren, Membership & Communications Director Rich Sampson and Communications Specialist Taylor McGinley have combined their notes and determined presenting this edition of DigitalCT – our 16th state-focused issue since 1999 – in two parts would allow us to share our members’ stories more fully.

Stay tuned in two weeks for Part II of The Pennsylvania Transit Tour, as we profile:

Altoona Rochester, Pa. Crawford

Scranton Washington, Pa. Kittanning Greensburg www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 4 www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 5 The Commentary Pennsylvania Transit Tour 2018 The Commentary: Pennsylvania – Trends & Themes By Rich Sampson either daily for commuters or once a week to access healthcare appointments, often with Every time we head out on another trip specialists that are only available in the city. across a state to learn about transit there Moreover, most of these regional bus routes firsthand, there’s always interesting prac- access Pittsburgh’s network of busways – tices, habits and traits that are common – if which were Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) before not shared – among the agencies and orga- anyone had ever heard the term BRT when nizations we visit. In Minnesota, we were they debuted in the late 1970s and early 80s. often presented a scrapbook of news clip- Owned by the Port Authority of Allegheny pings and photos chronicling the system’s County (Pittsburgh’s public transportation history. When we toured Michigan in 2016, provider), neighboring systems that utilize anyone 65 and older with a valid ID card, as we learned about the prevalence of mill- the busway infrastructure are charged a rea- well as reduced fares on shared-ride and on- age funding that regularly needed approval sonable useage fee and must send their driv- demand services. from voters. ers for training on driving the routes, but the exclusive, highway-quality roadways speed As you read our profiles of CTAA’s mem- This year in Pennsylvania, we observed a buses past congestion and delays. bers in Pennsylvania, observe the range of number of trends and themes that emerged communities and service structures they among our ten stops: • Participation in the state’s Medical As- represent. From a large-volume urban sistance Transportation Program (MATP). system like LANTA in Allentown that is • Fixed-route service is a mainstay of Penn- Many public transit authorities are the considering BRT and light-rail in its main syvlania transit providers, even in smaller designated broker for their county or region, corridor, to rural and specialized provid- towns and rural communities where de- while other operators deliver trips as con- ers providing door-to-door service. Much mand-response service might be expected in tracted providers in a larger network. While like community and public transportation other states. This included systems like Town MATP’s nuances are unqiue, like most providers anywhere, community and public & Country Transit in Kittanning and the states, community and public transportation transportation operators in Pennsylvania are Crawford Area Transit Authority in Craw- providers depend on Medicaid-supported prioritizing high-quality, dependable service ford (stay tuned for their profiles in Part II). trips as important factor in their local while embracing new approaches in order matching funds equation. to thrive as mobility continues to evolve • Similarly, but more regionally, several around and through their daily work. CTAA members in southwestern Pennsylva- • State lottery funds support transportation nia operate regular service into Pittsburgh, resources for seniors, including free trips to www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 6 The Commentary Our Pennsylvania Members CTAA thanks its 34 members across Pennsylvania for their continued support! To learn more about CTAA membership, visit www.ctaa.org or contact Membership & Communications Director Rich Sampson at [email protected].

Access Transportation System – Crawford Area Transportation Authority – Pennsylvania Public Transportation Pittsburgh Meadville Association – Harrisburg

Alliance for Transportation Working in Easton Coach – Easton Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging – Communities – Pittsburgh Philadelphia Ecolane – Wayne Altoona Metro Transit (AMTRAN) – Safety Training and Educational Services Altoona First Transit, Inc. – Pittsburgh – Fairless Hills

American Cancer Society – Stroudsburg Guardian Transport Service – Brockway Suburban Transit Network, Inc. – Blue Bell American Cooling Technology, Inc. – York Indiana County Transit Authority – Indiana Town and Country Transit – Kittanning Beaver County Transit Authority – Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Rochester Authority – Allentown Trans/AIR Manufacturing Corporation – Dallastown Butler Transit Authority – Butler Menno Haven, Inc. – Chambersburg United States Seating – Exton Call A Ride Service – Lewistown Mercer County Regional Council of Governments – Hermitage Washington County Transportation Center for Community Building, Inc. – Authority (Freedom Transit) – Washington Harrisburg Noel Training and Consulting LLC – Johnstown Westmoreland County Transit Authority – Chestnut Ridge Foam, Inc. – Latrobe Greensburg Pamela Armentrout – Narvon Clarion – King of Prussia York/Adams Transportation Authority Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation – (rabbittransit) – York County of Lackawanna Transit System Harrisburg (COLTS) – Scranton www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 7 Transit for All

Join the Association that’s committed to you, your community and your passengers

CTAA Membership & Communications Director Rich Sampson is ready to answer your questions and discuss membership dues

202.415.9666

[email protected] www.ctaa.org www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 8 LANTA Pennsylvania Transit Tour 2018 Well, They’re Growing Here in Allentown: LANTA Thrives in a Revitalizing Region

demand-response vehicles that, combined, carry more than 18,000 average daily riders. More importantly, LANTA identifies its role as an entity with the resources and ability to shape prosperity in the Lehigh Valley.

“We have an opportunity to demonstrate to this region how good transit that’s reliabile and frequent can enhance economic activity fastest-growing in the nation and boasts and achieve important quality of life objec- the most rapidly-increasing population in tives,” says LANTA Executive Director Owen Pennsylvania. Fueled by proximity to both O’Neil. the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas, well-established academic and health- Refreshing Routes care institutions and an exapanding logistics and warehousing sector, the Lehigh Valley is This was apparent as we began the first on the rebound from its Rust Belt legacy. stage of the 2018 Pennsylavnia Transit Tour A LANTA bus traveling on Route 107 navigates around the Soldiers & Sailors Monument in downtown Allentown. this past March, heading up to Allentown Vital to this new sense of activity is the re- from Washington, D.C., just a day after sub- If you’re not from Pennsylvania’s Lehigh gion’s two-county public transportation pro- stantial snow fell across eastern and central Valley region, you probably have a certain vider, the Lehigh and Northampton Trans- Pennsylvania. Entering Allentown and trav- perception about Allentown, and its neigh- portation Authority (LANTA). A longtime eling around the iconic Soldiers & Sailors boring cities of Bethlehem and Easton. The CTAA member (the agency is member num- Monument downtown, LANTA’s buses we image developing in your mind might be ber 123 in our database), LANTA provides everywhere. informed by this Billy Joel lyric: “well, we’re robust fixed-route and demand-response living here in Allentown. And they’re closing service across the region and its more than The region’s population and economic re- all the factories down.” 820,000 residents. surgence coincided with a bus network rede- sign effort the agency conducted in 2011, after It may be tough to reconcile that aesthetic It’s not just the 24 routes or 82 buses it oper- some routes had been maintained since their with this reality: the region is one of the ates on weekdays, along with another 105 establishment as streetcar lines at the turn of www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 9 LANTA

LANTA Executive Director Owen O’Neil (left) and Communications Manager Chuck Genna.

the 20th century. LANTA – created as a mu- nicipal authority by Lehigh and Northamp- ton counties in 1972 – focused on core service within and between its trio of cities, then identified improved routes to serve the rapid- ly-growing suburbs around Alltentown, Beth- lehem and Easton, as well as a fourth transfer center at the Lehigh Valley Mall. It’s route identification structure was simplified as trip continued economic recovery, many employ- “Employers have a hard time recruiting and frequency increased, with route identifiers ers have found difficulty filling positions and getting workers to jobs because of the low rationalized down from a collage of letters retaining employees. Consequently, com- unemployment rates in this region,” explains and numbers to tiers for daily, limited service panies are promoting reliabile, convenient O’Neil. “Our network structure allows us to and weekend routes, sorted by the commni- access to job locations on LANTA in a com- leverage new approaches to serve corporate ties they pass through. petitive job market. Amazon found LANTA markets, while still retaining routes that have service so essential to its fulfillment center in been well-used for decades.” The restructuring process allowed LANTA’s Breinigsville – southeast of Allentown – that Land Use, LANTA Flex & BRT routes in the cities to operate more directly it reached a revenue guarantee agreement and more often to attract additional riders, with the agency, whereby the online retail while also freeing-up vehicles and operators giant reimburses LANTA for any difference Although LANTA predated the bus net- to respond to growing needs for reverse com- between farebox revenues and operating work redesign trend that’s emerged in the mutes from downtown housing to suburban costs for service to its facility. transit industry in recent years, it’s not only office and industrial park jobs. As part of the focused on realizing fixed-route efficiency. It www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 10 LANTA views its role in planning for long-term land- have to be more focused on decisions that can use as just as essential to providing effective have long-term impacts.” and responsive service. Planning processes and municipal-level decisions on infrastruc- Beyond its focus on planning to better con- ture elements as diverse as sidewalks and nect communities with its traditional fixed- schools can significantly impact mobility route and paratransit (LANtaVan) services, it needs. has also introduced LANTA Flex to supple- ment those options where coverage areas In 2014, LANTA published its Transit- Sup- make fixed-routes inefficient and paratransit portive Land Use Plan as a blueprint to is limited by eligibility requirements. LANTA guide elected officials, municipal employees Flex represents on-demand service that’s and the transit agency as they advance key open to the general public and charges fares objectives, such as mitigating congestion, pre- equivalent to fixed routes, but is oriented to serving open space, continued urban revital- directly-connecting origins and destinations tem’s busiest route. Riders utilize the line ization and smart growth in suburban areas. through shared-ride management. in segments, such as Easton to Bethlehem or Bethlehem to Allentown, and a host of “We aim to develop good relationships with The five LANTA Flex services – numbered smaller pairings. In 2014, LANTA published our communities to respond to high develop- in the 500s in the system’s network hierar- a study of enhanced infrastructure and ment pressures,” says O’Neil, who previously chy – are designed to provide point-to-point operations on the corridor that reach Bus served as LANTA’s Director of Planning trips within their respective service zones and Rapid Transit (BRT) standards in order to under previous Executive Director Armand also connect with fixed-route buses to travel boost frequency, reduce travel time and grow Greco and worked at large transit agencies, between communities. The agency is also ridrship. In the future, the corridor’s density the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority exploring how to adapt Flex service with on- and utilization could justify further upgrades (RIPTA) and Southeastern Pennsylvania demand, real-time service technologies. to light rail. Transportation Authority (SEPTA), before coming to LANTA. “The high-growth sub- “As we use the Flex model more, we are The combination of transit land-use plan- urbs are our biggest challenges.” able to recapture operational resources into ning, flexible service and BRT plans demon- fewer, but more robust corridors,” says strates LANTA’s dynacism along with the “Under Owen’s leadership, we’ve dem- O’Neil. region it serves. onstrated the importance of planning as an ingredient to our success, not just something One such priority corridor is LANTA’s “We’ve identified multiple avenues where that’s required to get funding,” says LANTA Route 220, the spine connecting downtowns we can improve our service and also try out Communications Manager Chuck Genna, in Easton, Bethlehem and Allentown. Al- new concepts,” says Genna. “We don’t want who joined O’Neil for our visit and has been though not many riders are aboard the route to be beholden to only one approach when involved with the agency for more than 25 for its full one-way, hour-and-15-minute trip there are a multitude of needs to be ad- years. “As this area has turned around, we from Easton to Allentown, it’s still the sys- dressed.” www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 11 LANTA

The display of LANTA bus schedules at its downtown Allentown transfer center conveys the expansiveness of the system’s fixed-route bus network. Riders board LANTA’s Route 210 at the system’s transfer Seasons of Transit Tours Past center in downtown Allentown the morning of our visit. The Work of Transit Management in a options (when LANTA Flex is effective, it Our favorite time of the year is our annual Changing Region reduces passenger and vehicle miles, even road trip and the staff of DigitalCT (and though it could be improving service quality). Community Transportation before it) have The big opportunites that a growing region been hitting the road each year since has presented to LANTA are matched by These and other elements of leadership 1999, visiting transit providers across challenges the agency will need to address as and management are familiar to community a given state. Here’s where we’ve been it plans for and implements its vision for the and public transportation managers in com- before (click the link to view): future. munities of all sizes. At LANTA, O’Neil and his colleagues are dedicated to responding 2017: Michigan During our two-hour visit to LANTA’s to both opportunities and challenges as the facility located in a residential neighborhood Lehigh Valley region grows and changes. 2015: Oregon | 2014: Georgia in Allentown, O’Neil and Genna discussed 2013: Minnesota | 2012: New Mexico nuanced concerns, such as how LANtaVan “We find ourselves in a relatively good 2011: West Virginia | 2010: California delivers 85 percent of patients to some dialy- position because of regional dynamics,” says 2008: Connecticut | 2007: New York sis clincis in the area as the result of eligibility O’Neil. “It’s our job to provide quality service 2006: Florida | 2004: Vermont decisions by the state’s Medicaid program first while also acting proactively with lead- 2003: Mississippi | 2002: Iowa broker. Or the difficulty of federal funding ers and communities to ensure we’re viewed 2001: Pennsylvania | 2000: Texas formulas based on National Transit Database as an asset that can contuinue to build on this 1999: South Dakota & Indiana (NTD) reporting for LANTA Flex service, momentum.” which doesn’t offer a category that lines up with the efficiencies realized by microtransit www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 12 SUN SUN small urban network

SUN / ConneCTAA

SUNsmall In Pennsylvania: LANTA, COLTS, Amtrans, BTA, urban BCTA, WCTA & Freedom Transit are network all SUN members! ConneCTAA: A Listserv for CTAA’s Small Urban Members

small Our members are CTAA’s greatest asset. For SUN that reason, we’re proud to introduce a new urban tool for CTAA members to share questions, discussion, examples and resources directly network with each other: ConneCTAA. ConneCTAA is an email-based electronic CTAA’s Small Urban Network is forming right listserv - available only to CTAA small-urban CTAA’snow! If Smallyou represent Urban Networka transit operation is working in ato transit members. Because you’ve told us you need a forum to speak candidly and openly improvesmall-urban federal community, transit pleaselegislation contact and Scott policy among yourselves to share your questions, forBogren smaller at [email protected] cities. If you represent and be sure a transit to get frustrations and solutions with your peers, operation in a small-urban community, no vendors or government officials – at any small on our SUN mailing list. The first full meeting of level – will have access to this group, even if SUNurban pleasethe SUN contact will take Rich place Sampson on September at sampson@ 5. Stay they’re CTAA members. ctaa.orgtuned to andthe CTAA be sure FastMail to get for on the our lastest SUN de - Please share your questions, networkmailingtails. list. We’ll be hosting our next SUN challenges and ideas with your peers by emailing [email protected]. Conference August 2019. Stay tuned for That’s all there is to it, just like any further details... other email you might send.

www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 13 Center for Community Building

Center for Community Building: Whatever It Takes to Move People

The final stop on the first leg of our Penn- sylvania Transit Tour led us to the side door of a brick, light industrial building in North Harrisburg. That warm, sunny day was a notable contrast to the post-storm snowbanks we trudged through in Allentown and Scran- ton. Here, we spent time with William Peter- son, CCTM, the affiable founder and Director of the Center for Community Building, Inc. (CCB).

Peterson and his wife Jeannine – herself a veteran program manager with the Penn- sylvania Department of Health – originally William Peterson, left, along with Vernae Patterson, who formed CCB in response to a Welfare-to- oversees CCB’s transit programs. Work-era grant opportunity offered through CCB’s offices in North Harrisburg distribute bus passes the Pennsylvania Department of Transporta- directly to customers, as well as housing the company’s learned there were so many other transporta- tion (PennDOT) in the late 1990s. The project staff of seven. tion needs in Harrisburg area besides getting – which the Petersons sketched-out at their to work.” dining room table– sought to create flexible nity service made them the right fit for the access to jobs, through both new mobility op- effort. PennDOT agreed, and CCB began man- One of those areas of needs – non-emergency tions as well as new means to connect jobseek- aging trips for clients in the program in 1999. medical transportation (NEMT) – emerged as ers with existing services (today, Jeannine an opportunity for CCB as the work under the heads up the Hamilton Health Center, also in “We were naive, but we didn’t know any job access project ran its course. The state’s Harrisburg). better,” says Peterson, during our walk- Medical Assistance Transportation Program and-talk interview, as he explained CCB’s (MATP) sought an entity to coordinate trips in Although neither had direct experience origin story while we met his team of seven the region. CCB was selected as the receipient administering transportation programs, they employess that coordinate more than 500 in 2004, and while the nuances of NEMT were believed their collective experience in project trips each day across a handful of state- and new to the company, the general mobility prem- management, entrepreneurism and commu- county-supported programs. “We quickly ise was the same as its grant through PennDOT. www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 14 Center for Community Building “We have to make sure people get to and gain clarity and proficiency in what’s an ever- from these programs, or else they’re totally changing line of work. ineffective,” explains Peterson. “If we could get someone to a job, we could also get them “The training we’ve received from CTAA, to better and cheaper healthcare.” Michael Noel and others here in Pennsylvania has helped us to better understand what we’re Although CCB initially operated its service doing and make better decisions, as we oper- directly, it now distributes trips to a portfolio ate like a business, so we need to both take of providers, ranging from the area’s public risks and also be deliberate at the same time,” transportation agencies – Capital Area Transit Peterson says. (CAT) and fellow CTAA member rabbittran- sit – to private transportation companies, Now, after working with peers in com- A poster promoting CCB’s range of mobility options is on taxis, and even intercity bus and rail options munity and public transportation for nearly display at the company’s office in Harrisburg. like Amtrak, Greyhound and Trailways. The two decades, CCB has forged one principle and we’re exploring how a smaller company recent emergence of Transportation Network as it orchestrates hundreds of daily trips: try like ours’ can add new technology that’s af- Companies like Uber and Lyft have only transit first. If a rider can utilize a fixed route fordable and easy to manage.” expanded the options available. It all depends to reach their destination, CCB will supply the on the best match between the customer’s customer with a bus pass. As those realities emerge, CCB will continue needs and the most efficient mode of travel. to seek out new opportunities to diversify “It’s really the most efficient way of provid- its revenue streams and identify new paths “We’d buy a ticket on a transcontinental ing the trip, and provides the most freedom to serving people in the Harrisburg region. flight if that was the most affordable way to for the rider,” says Peterson, who’s staff They’re considering new projects to address connect a person with the care that’s required distributes both transit passes to customers hospital patients when discharged and ex-of- under the MATP program,” says Peterson, in-person at their offices, or indirectly through fenders released through the prison authority. who admits they haven’t booked airfare to the various public programs with which they date. have agreements. “I come from a commercial background,

where I always had to be concerned about los- Along the way, CCB has benefited from As CCB approaches its twentieth anniversa- ing business and bringing in new customers,” training and peer connections – both within ry, Peterson notes customers’ changing needs, says Peterson, who previously worked in the the state and nationally through CTAA – to as well as preferences for how they travel. printing industry, then for a business develop- help the company enhance its professional ment authority. “We’ll do alright as long as we skills and practices. He credits longtime “People need to take longer-distance trips keep focused on moving people by any means Pennsylvania-based trainer Michael Noel in today than they did when we started, with necessary, and remember that community is helping him develop his management creden- medical specialists more spread-out, for right there in our name. This work has been a tials in the industry, as well as CTAA’s CCTM example. We also know that real-time or on- blessing to me.” and CCTS certification courses, in an effort to demand service will become more important, www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 15 COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION www.ctaa.org/expo EXPO 2019 –> Palm Springs, Calif. @CTAAEXPO May 19 – 23 CTAA EXPO www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 16 Pennsylvania Transit Tour 2018 IndiGo

IndiGO Service Mobilizes a College Town

Once you’ve referenced a map and sorted out that even though you’re in Indiana, you’re still in Pennsylvania, you can ap- preciate the charm of the college town that’s home to the second-largest school in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Even more helpful in orienting you around are the solid red buses boasting the name IndiGO that scurry about – and beyond – town.

Serving a permanent local population of over 13,900 that’s nearly matched by the 12,800 students attending Indiana Universi- ty of Pennsylvania (IUP), IndiGO is unques- tionably linked to the college it serves. And like transit in so many campus-oriented communities, it’s defined routes that are fre- An IndiGO bus operating on Route 5 travels through a neighborhood in Indiana, Pennsylvania. quent, affordable and well-used by students shuttling between classes, housing and area nual trips in Indiana County. rolling out the system’s 28 vehicles and businesses. hoping students hop on board. Kanyan and “This was originally a coal town, but his staff work closely with IUP to ensure Transit on Campus: Patience & everyone’s now moved on from coal and its routes and service patterns align with Persistence we’re pretty much focused on the Uni- travel needs to, from and on campus. That versity,” says Kanyan, who also serves as includes trips synched with class times, According to John Kanyan, Executive Di- CTAA’s Pennyslvania state delegate. “Our late-night and weekend service to allow rector of the Indina County Transportation goal now is to retain a younger generation students to get around town for recreation Authority – which operates under the In- who comes to IUP to stay, and reliable tran- and errands, and free service with a IUP ID diGO service brand – more than 70 percent sit service is a major tool to do that.” card. IUP delivers IndiGO its largest source of the ridership on its 12 fixed bus routes of local matching funds. are IUP stutdents, faculty or staff. Overall, Of course, providing effective service to the agency provides more than 400,000 an- college students involves more than just “We have a strong relationship with www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 17 IndiGO tinations on each route. Kanyan explains Beyond IUP: Serving Indiana County that many students have never depended on transit where they grew up, but parents Service to the IUP campus is an indis- quickly become proponents when they real- pensable part of IndiGO’s identity, but the ize a car isn’t necessary to fully enjoy the agency also provides important mobility experience in Indiana. options to the larger community. Two of it’s fixed routes extend beyond the borough of “Customer service is a big focus for us,” Indina and operate year-round, serving the says Kanyan, who started off with IndiGO boroughs of Blairsville, Homer City, Plum- as a mechanic in 1986, and held various ville and Smicksburg. Complimentary para- positions until succeeding longtime Execu- transit and Shared Ride options extend the tive Director Gerald Blair, who retired in reach of the fixed-route network to people 2009. “It’s more than handing out schedules with disabilities, seniors and the general and putting posters up at bus stops. This public. requires one-on-one interaction with stu- dents to build word-of-mouth, athough a As part of its demand-response services, lot of that carries over year-to-year. It’s both IndiGO participates as the broker for Penn- patience and persistence.” sylvania’s statewide Medical Assistance IndiGO Executive Director John Kanyan. Transportation Program (MATP), supple- To this end, IndiGO works to make itself menting its service by contracting for service the University that’s established in of- a resource to students, faculty and staff. Its with private-sector providers. Kanyan ex- ficial agreements,” Kanyan says, noting Twitter feed often announces lost ID cards plains that although the county is tighten- the arrangment that dates to 1991 and has and belongings in addition to standard ing its eligibility rules for MATP-supported allowed the school to avoid costly new delay and detour notices. The agency also trips, it is able to make effective use of fund- parking facilities and expand the range of operates an additional nightime parking IndiGO often uses minvans for its Shared Ride trips. off-campus housing available to students. lot shuttle service under contract to IUP’s “We are the transportation providers in Office of Public Safety, a valuable asset in town, so we’re who they work with.” cold and snowy weather. Although IndiGO substantially reduces its service during Beyond its relathship with IUP, IndiGO summer and holiday breaks, most front-line communicates with students directly to staff are familiar with the system’s routine. encourage use of their service. IndiGO staff attend orientation events for new students “We do have regular layoffs each year in and explain how the system’s pulse-based conjunction with IUP’s schedule but we timetables work. They hand out cheat-sheet have pretty good retention rates among cards with quick descriptions of the des- drivers,” says Kanyan. www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 18 IndiGO longer than a standard diesel bus and the fuel price is much lower,”Kanyan says of his CNG fleet that currently numbers 13 out of 28 vehicles. “Our goal is to be mostly CNG within a few years.”

Urban Transit in a Rural Region

During school season, Indiana and In- diGO bustle with activity, suggesting a community much larger than it’s stand- ing population, with density dropping off quickly outside the borough limits. That’s a paradox that defines reality for IndiGO.

“We’re a college town in the center of a very rural county,” says Kanyan. “We’re fortunate to have the resources to support the level of service IUP needs to be success- ful, and will continue to respond to meet the needs of everyone in Indiana county.” Left: IndiGO’s new CNG fueling station is now in use at its administration and maintenance facility. Below: a plaque at the facility honors IndiGo’s longtime director, Gerald Blair. ing through the program by assigning many In addition to its demand-response ser- of the trips to its fixed-route network and vices within and beyond Indiana County, providing bus passes to customers. Similar IndiGo is also transitioning much of its fleet to neighboring Town & Country Transit, to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fuel – IndiGO also operates service into Pittsburgh mirroring trends of other providers across every Thursday for medical appointments, the state – and has opened a CNG fueling including a $15 round-trip fare for seniors. station at its facility, one it purchased from the Berks Area Regional Transportation “It works ok for us, but we’re in a much Authority (BARTA) in Reading. simpler situation with MATP than other areas of the state,” says Kanyan. “We can operate a CNG vehicle a little www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 19 The perfect compliment to Digital CT is our bi-weekly E-Newsletter, CT Fast Mail. Delivering the latest news on transit policy from the nation’s capitol, developments from across the country, research and analysis publications and information on resources and technical assistance from the Community Transportation Association and other partners, CT Fast Mail is the most direct location for the most relevant news and updates in the industry.

And it’s free to sign-up! Simply send an email to fastmail@ ctaa.org and you’ll be connected with the next issue of CT Fast Mail. In the meantime, view the latest edition at www.ctaa.org. NOTE: CTAA Members receive CT Fast Mail a week before non-member subscribers. To become a member, visit www.ctaa.org today!

www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 20 Pennsylvania Transit Tour 2018 Suburban Transit Network Suburban Transit Network: Success Through Quality Standards

CTAA Membership and Communications Director Rich Sampson visited Suburban Transit Network in April, 2018 as the final stop on the Pennsylvania Transit Tour, while Communications Specialist Taylor McGinley traveled up to Montgomery County, Pa., as her first visit to a CTAA member in August, 2018. They file this profile of Suburban Transit Network jointly – ed. The company has developed a bright and consistent TransNet shuttles line-up on campus at St. Joseph’s brand identity across its vehicles and information Philadelphia has a rich historical and University. platforms. cultural tapestry, home to hundreds of attractions and locations for tourists and ly-populated city, which hosts two different medical appointments, shopping, congre- residents to explore. Beyond the Liberty rail options into Philadelphia. Revitaliza- gate meal sites and more. After the project’s Bell and a stop for cheesesteaks are well- tion projects have enhanced its downtown, six-month trial period ended with promis- established, dense communities. Although where construction zones exist on just ing results, the pair decided to continue Philadelphia is consistently-ranked among about every other block. In the heart of the their work in paratransit, starting a non- the nation’s top ten transit networks, many rejuvenation exists the Suburban Transit profit corporation – then known as Mont- assume that amounts to the region’s mam- Network, more commonly known as Trans- gomery County Paratransit – and resigned moth Southeastern Pennsylvania Transpor- Net. It’s an organization with a passion of their positions with the county. tation Authority (SEPTA) and not much serving those needing more than just fixed- route bus service. For the two, relatively-young entrepre- else. neurs, it was a big risk, but one for which Folding Tables to Frequent Service Nestled among Philadelphia’s suburbs, they were ultimately rewarded. Starting with a folding table and a single rotary Montgomery County is home to neighbor- The agency that’s now known as TransNet hoods, businesses and communities not phone, they wagered the concept they – and provides more than 3,000 trips per initiated through the pilot project could much younger than the city’s historic areas. day – started off in 1980 as little more than a The area’s quaint identity sits in contrast not only continue to serve seniors’ unmet pilot project by two dedicated employees at mobility needs, but could expand to other with the industrial zones surrounding the the Montgomery County Office on Aging. city. un- or under-served travel markets in the Carol Sterling and a colleague were over- county. They created partnerships with de- As my first trip visiting a CTAA member, seeing a small program to provide transpor- velopmental disabilities services to connect I exited SEPTA’s Norristown Regional Rail tation to the county’s seniors. They worked people with employment at sheltered work- station and was quickly aware of the dense- with local cab companies to provide trips to shops, then added contracts with senior www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 21 Suburban Transit Network • Transportation for persons with disabili- ties, between the ages of 18 to 64.

Part of what makes TransNet unique are their skills to develop and maintain per- sonal relationships. They work closely with transit partners, government agencies and their consumers to deliver high-quality service.

“When you do transit for 25 years, you just know it,” says Maria Church, CSSO, Risk Management Director at TransNet, TransNet’s dispatching personel have access to real-time who also serves on CTAA’s National Com- info screens that display easy-to-read status updates on vehicles and trips. munity Transportation Roadeo Committee. Personal Relationships are Key TransNet staff has developed close re- lationships with staff at each partner site. Between then and now, TransNet has They know each other, their families and grown into the largest paratransit provider From left: TransNet Executive Director Susan Kopystecki, their habits as well as they know them- Director of Operations Carol Sterling and Risk Management in the Philadelphia region. They work close- Director Maria Church at TransNet’s offices in Blue Bell. selves. With colleagues working together ly with six private-sector transit partners for ten years or more, passengers feel com- centers and meals on wheels programs. By to provide quality service for their custom- fortable knowing that their transit providers 1986, they were looking at new work with ers, with trips reaching into Berks, Bucks, have dedicated their life to the industry. private-sector companies in connecting Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery employees with SEPTA bus and rail services and Philadelphia counties. Utilizing more Not only does staff maintain close, profes- and launching shuttle routes. than 300 vehicles and drivers, TransNet and sional relationships, but so do the drivers its partners offer a variety of transportation with their riders. During a ride-a-long with “It was exciting and scary at the same options, including: James, a driver from TransNet’s partner and time,” says Sterling, TransNet’s Director CTAA member Easton Coach, it was clear of Operations. “Of course, we believed in • Shuttle services for employers and col- how knowledgeable he was with the roads, what we were doing and its importance in lege campuses; his riders and their destinations. He had helping people in their daily lives, but we been driving for years and it showed. As decided to focus on two management ap- • A Shared-Ride Program for those 65 we pulled up to a customer’s home, he im- proaches: running a tight ship in terms of years or older mediately jumped out of the vehicle to help operations and safety, and never assuming • Pennsylvania’s Statewide Medical Assis- her board. The customer beat him to the we’d be able to keep a given contract for- tance Transportation Program (MATP); and punch and comfortably settled into her seat. ever. We never got complacent.” www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 22 Suburban Transit Network He double-checked her seatbelt, to ensure she was safe and secure, and then returned to his seat to set a course to her destination. After a few short minutes, and plenty of conversation, we had arrived at her destina- tion and James provided assistance as she exited the vehicle.

“If you’re going south or west, you know the odd number [addresses] will be on the right hand side. If you’re going north or east, it’ll be even on the right,” said James TransNet’s training room is in regular use, as the Downam, Easton Coach’s driver. company conducts training and assessments directly for its service providers. TransNet’s Maria Church demonstrates new safety This passion and dedication to service is equipment at Easton Coach’s maintenance facility. timately allowing TransNet to facilitate not an uncommon quality among Trans- the growth of their fleet and expand their Innovation in Vehicle Safety Net’s drivers. Customers regularly feel premium services. Private company and satisfied and safe knowing their drivers are school/college shuttle services provide TransNet consistently strives to ensure knowledgeable and skillful. roughly 43 percent of TransNet’s total bud- their vehicles are up to date as technology Growing with a Vision get. By seeking these new type of contracts, advances. For example, TransNet is work- this paratransit provider can keep costs low. ing to make wheelchair assistance easier. As the organization and neighborhoods Using a mini-van, they have installed In- around them continue to grow and change, “We’re always trying to be at the fore- cline, an easy-to-use ramp system. TransNet has begun facing concerns that are front of change, instead of following,” says The driver attaches retractable straps common among demand-response provid- Executive Director Susan Kopystecki, who securely to the rider’s wheelchair, while an ers. Individual trips are expensive, especial- came aboard in 1996 from one of TransNet’s automated system retracts the straps, pulls ly while maintaining low-cost fares. No- service providers, as Sterling sought to con- the wheelchair up the ramp and into the shows are a perpetual challenge, numbering tinue in her role as Director of Operations. van. From there, the driver adds an extra about 150 a day at TransNet. How does an “We believe it’s our focus on responsive- level of security by adjusting a seatbelt and organization preserve high standards at a ness, quality control and professionalism a lap belt, to ensure the customer is safe lower cost? that makes us an attractive service provider. We would rather not operate a service than throughout the drive. The loading process Thanks to innovative contracts with operate it poorly.” takes roughly five minutes. schools and private companies, TransNet is When demonstrating this addition during finding ways to improve efficiency. These our visit, many employees from TransNet contracts provide stable investments, ul- and Easton Coach gathered around to see www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 23 Suburban Transit Network cies reported during the inspection, the ser- vice partner must make the repairs within a week and report back to TransNet. Each vehicle in the TransNet fleet complies with state and federal regulations.

Drivers employed by TransNet’s partner companies are held to similarly high stan- dards. Their combined 319 drivers have New CNG-fuelled vehicles have entered TransNet’s fleet. passed a background check, motor vehicle record check, and a child abuse check. They how it worked. The energy and excitement also undergo multiple trainings and certi- in the room was palpable. It was uplifting fications to maintain standards once hired. to see a group of people excited to find new Each contractor has at least 10 years of op- ways to serve their customers. erational experience, with many in business The Ride Systems app is being deployed first to much longer. TransNet’s college audience, with potential to expand to In addition to new rider securing tools, other rider segments TransNet vehicles are becoming increas- “We expect good service and our stan- with this innovative technology. TransNet is ingly sustainable. In the past two years, dards are very high,” says Church. “Our hoping to roll this out across all future col- TransNet has expanded its Compressed partner companies provide quality service, lege contracts. Natural Gas (CNG) fleet to 15 in Montgom- and are the best of the best in this business.” ery County. Keeping riders safe is the top priority of Reaching Out to Customers and TransNet. They offer clear and memorable “We introduce new technology and as- Communities safety cards to remind riders of important sets when they are required by regulations, protocols, along with newly-marketed make sense financially and improve the TransNet and their partners have found brochures updating passengers on policies, experience for our customers,” says Kopys- new ways to keep their riders informed guidelines and information specific to their tecki. of transit arrival times and vehicle loca- service program. tions. One example of this is their new Ride Reducing Risks Systems app for college students at Saint Along with the brochures, TransNet has TransNet and their partners are devoted Joseph’s University and Chestnut Hill Col- instituted a new website, an extensive social to maintaining high safety standards. Every lege. media campaign, new bus wrap designs month, Church and an independent me- and helpful how-to videos. These videos The app tracks the vehicle’s location and have proved helpful in providing addi- chanic inspect half their fleet, alternating bi- reports real-time arrival in comparison to monthly. Inspections are extremely detailed, tional resources for driver training, boost- scheduled arrival times. User reviews dem- ing customer appreciation and presenting examining everything from the head lights onstrate that students have been pleased to the brake pads. If there are any deficien- information to their partners. www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 24 Suburban Transit Network

Through these innovative outreach tools, Keeping Customers at the Forefront more than 38 years ago. “Our challenge is as well as fun products – such as adult the same now as it was then: never become coloring and activity books, TransNet After spending a day with TransNet complacent and be sure you deliver your maintains strong relationships with their employees, it was clear how they and their absolute best all the time.” consumers. partners are committed to providing con- venient, safe and low-cost transportation “We’ve created a good brand and deploy options. By continually improving their out- it consistently, but it doesn’t mean anything reach programs, quality control and identi- if it doesn’t convey important information fying new business opportunities, TransNet that customers will pay attention to,” says has developed authentic relationships with Danielle Wiley, TransNet’s Marketing Man- their customers and surrounding communi- ager, who’s been with the company for a ties. little more than two years. “Our customers’ needs are so diverse – from seniors and peo- “We found an opportunity to participate ple with disabilities to daily commuters and in the process of providing better trans- college students. Each audience requires an portation options in Montgomery County, approach that connects with them.” and we’ve earned the trust of those making decisions,” says Sterling, looking back on the journey of the company she co-founded www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 25 Butler Transit Authority Pennsylvania Transit Tour 2018 Butler Transit Authority: Continuing the Legacy in a Transportation Manufacturing Town We’ve been hitting the road for a week ev- ery year for the better parts of two decades, visiting CTAA’s members and other com- munity and public transportation providers in-person to tell their stories in DigitalCT and it’s printed predecessor, Community Transpor- tation Magazine. And among the dozens of interviews we’ve done with transit leaders at administrative facilities, transfer centers and coffee shops over the years, we’d never interviewed a system’s manager sitting in the Butler is on display just steps from Paul’s padded seats of a motorcoach bus. That was office. until we met Butler Transit Authority (BTA) Director John Paul on one of the agency’s five BTA launced regional bus service to Pitts- sparkling new long-haul buses that were set burgh on July 1, 2018 using a $300,000 fed- to initiate service the 38-mile, one-way route eral Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality between Butler and Pittsburgh on weekdays. (CMAQ) demonstration grant over five years that’s matched with state and local funds. BRT in a Rural Setting The operation includes two different routes between Butler and the Port Authority’s Paul takes pride in the options the system Allegheny T light-rail station on Pittsbugh’s provides that allow commuters traveling to North Shore: one via Cooperstown, Pa., with Pittsburgh access affordable housing and two peak direction trips each way and one BTA’s John Paul the small-town ambiance in Butler - perhaps reverse-commute run traveling via State where they were raised when the city of Routes 8 and 28 in an hour and 40 minutes; High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on 13,000 was still a hive of industrial manu- the other stops in Evans City and in Jackson I-279 near Pittsburgh for an hour and 15-min- facturing. BTA’s administrative and mainte- Township, at a 330-space Park and Ride lot ute ride. nance facility - opened in 2011 - is sited on that BTA constructed with CMAQ and Fed- the footprint of a former Pullman railcar eral 5309 Funding at the Intersection of State “It’s almost like Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), production factory, where a onetime Milwau- Route 528 and Interstate 79. That route offers but in a rural setting,” says Paul, who’s led kee Road hopper car that was assembled in two peak-direction trips each way, utilzing the agency for the past 18 years. “It will be www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 26 Butler Transit Authority routes that come together in downtown But- career in real estate before spending time as ler, utilizing six buses for Monday through a staffer at the Pennsylvania state house in Friday service on the Blue, Green and Orange Harrisburg, and also graduated from Edin- routes, as well as Monday – Saturday opera- boro University, which also counts transit tion on the Blue and Yellow lines. industry veterans Art Guzzetti from APTA and Mary Jo Moradini of neighboring Beaver Weekend and late-night service that was County Transportation Authority as alums. originally launched in the early 2000s with “We work well and often with BART to support from the federal Job Access and ensure we’re covering all the transportation Reverse Commute (JARC) program has been needs in the region.” incorporated into the authority’s regular operating budget, even though JARC has Looking Forward, Regionally BTA’s five fixed routes connect in downtown Butler. expired as a targeted grant opportunity. As BTA gets settled in its role as a regional classified as a demonstration project until BTA’s local fixed-route service amounts to transit provider operating into Pittsburgh, we can prove its success. If there was better more than 190,000 annual trips supported Paul sees an expanded role for BTA and other infrastrucutre on the Evans City route, we by an annual budget of about $2 million. cross-county mobility providers in improv- could do it in an hour and five minutes. Traf- The authority receives federal Section 5307 ing links between communities, not just fic signal pre-emption could also help.” investment, while Butler County contrib- hauling weekday commuters into the area’s utes local matching funds. Previously, the largest city. He notes that the state conducted Paralleling transit fuel trends in Pennsyl- city of Butler and surrounding townships a study of the ten-county region including vania, the motorcoaches will be powered by had provided local matching funds directly and surrounding Pittsburgh and noted areas Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Paul ex- beginning in 1989, but the agency’s charter for improved service integration, such as a plains that while CNG often has lower fuel was recently revised to receive support from common fare structure, timed connections range than diesel, the larger tanks available Butler County. between regional routes and an identity or on the five motorcoaches will accomodate the brand for a regional bus network. travel needs for both Pittsburgh routes. Although BTA does not operate rural and shared-ride service itself, Butler Area Rural “The demographics around here are chang- More Than Commuter Trips Transit (BART) – administered by the Alli- ing,” Paul says. “It’s not enough to just live ance for Nonprofit Resources – is co-located and work in your town, like Butler. You have Inasmuch enthusiasm Paul and his team with BTA at same facility. BART also oper- to reach healthcare, education and jobs in of drivers and mechanics have for the new ates BTA’s complimentary paratransit service other areas that may not be where you live. regional bus service, the organization’s iden- under contract. With our new regional routes, we have the tify has been established much longer as the resources to be part of that equation.” provider of local fixed-route service in and “We focus on what we do best: operating around Butler. BTA operates five color-coded fixed-route buses,” says Paul, who began his www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 27 About Us

ABOUT US

Community Transportation Magazine is the voice of the Community Transportation Association, a national association dedicated to making mobility alternatives available to all Americans. The Association’s Board of Directors provides national leadership and direction for the Association. The Board relies on the special exper- tise of its State and Tribal Delegate Council to assist in their important efforts.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Elaine Wells, President; Barbara Cline, CCTM, Vice President; Robert P. Koska, Treasurer; Dan Wedge, Secretary; Julie Brown; Charles Carr; Barbara Donovan; Ann Gilbert; Santo Grande, CCTM; Jo Ann Hutchinson; Kristen Joyner; Robert P. Koska; William McDonald; Jeff Meilbeck; John McBeth; Dan Wedge; and Randy Zobrist. Non-Voting Directors: Dan Dirks, CCTM; Rich- ard Doyle; Dave White, CCTM.

OUR STATE & TRIBAL DELEGATE COUNCIL: Alabama • John Autry; Alaska • John Kern; Arizona • Bruce Morrow; Arkansas • Ken Sav- age; California • Jacklyn Montgomery; Colorado • Hank Braaksma, CCTM; Connecticut • Mary Tomolonius; Delaware • Ken Bock, CCTM; Florida • Karen Deigl; Hawaii • Harry Johnson, CCTM; Georgia • Butch McDuffie; Idaho • Kelli Fairless; Illinois • Bill Jung; Indiana • Rebecca Allen, CCTM, CTSR; Iowa • Mark Little, CCTM; Kansas • R.E. (Tuck) Duncan; Kentucky • Beecher Hudson; Louisiana • Michelle Horne; Maine • Jim Wood; Maryland • Nancy Norris, CCTM; Massachusetts • Anthony Ngethe; Minnesota • Vonie Smolke; Mississippi • John Johnson; Missouri • Dorothy Yeager, CCTM; Montana • Lyn Hellegaard, CCTM; Nebraska • Tiffany Fourgeson; Nevada • Mike Jackson; New Hampshire • Van Chesnut; New Jersey • Carol Novrit, CCTM; New Mexico • David Harris, AICP; North Carolina • Linda Thomas Wallace; North Dakota • Dale Bergman; Oklahoma • Charla Sloan, CCTM; Oregon • Doug Pilant, CCTM; Pennsylvania • John Kanyan; South Carolina • Keith Scott; South Dakota • Andy Sharp; Tennessee • Rebecca Harris; Texas • Lyle Nelson; Utah • Todd Beu- tler, CCTM; Vermont • Jim Moulton; Virginia • Josh Baker, CCTM; Washington • Kelly Scalf; West Virginia • David Bruffy; Wisconsin • Greg Seubert; Wyoming • Renae Jording, CCTM. Tribal Delgates: Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation • Corky Sias; Sitka Tribe of Alaska • Gerry Hope; Chickasaw Nation, Okla. • Angie Gilliam

www.ctaa.org CONTENTS 28