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LLaasstt ssttoopp Transportation Funding proposal would not increase the cost Eric Wolf, General Manager to the public compared with what they were paying 15 years ago, THHe TRRiPP HH TT In August 2011, the bi-partisan mendations are a responsible approach Altoona, PA T e T i SS eeee when the taxes and fees were last Transportation Funding Advisory to solving this long-term problem increased. The cost to the average Commission (TFAC) delivered to without seriously impacting trans - motorist starts at 70 cents per week, Governor Corbett a comprehensive portation users. eventually growing to $2.50 per solution that includes funding for What will it cost? week. roads, local government, public tran - The essential funding components sit, ports, airports, and freight rail. Benefits to all Pennsylvanians of the TFAC plan simply adjust out - • Safer travel . Roadway conditions The governor has indicated that he dated fees for inflation or redirect are a factor in more than 50% of fatal plans to address a comprehensive money within existing funds where traffic accidents, and many of these transportation funding solution in they can do the most good: January. problems can be solved with inex - • Gradually shifts State Police pensive fixes. The transportation funding gap has funding back to the General Fund. been well-established at $3.5 billion • Pennsylvania-specific economic • Adjusts outdated license and per year. If we do nothing , the gap benefits . Nearly all of the money registration fees for inflation. will double by 2020. spent on highways and transportation • Calibrates the Oil Company Fran - construction stays in Pennsylvania , Adopting the commission’s recom - chise Tax, which currently is based creating jobs and boosting the state’s mendations will be of great benefit to on 1980s oil prices, to today’s prices. economy. New diesel-electric hybrids all citizens of Pennsylvania whether • Shifts Act 44 monies to . you drive state highways or local • Jobs . Improvements to ports, rail, show significant savings streets and roads, depend on public The most remarkable thing about this and roads will create tens of thousands AMTRAN is reporting significant fuel savings with and it is the batteries , not the engine, that power the transit, ride a bike, or even if you proposal is the cost to the average of jobs, mostly in industries other the three new Gillig diesel-electric hybrids that went transmission. never leave your home. The recom - motorist. Adjusted for inflation, the than highway construction. into service in November. The improved fuel economy (as well as reduced emis - Better than expected sions) come from having a smaller engine running at a “We were expecting a 20-30% increase in fuel econ - constant rpm rather than a big engine revving up to omy,” said Gary Williams, AMTRAN Director of pull away from a stop. The system also recaptures Maintenance. “But we are getting better than 50% energy during braking through the . improvement when compared to similar models in This proven technology is already in use in Pittsburgh, our fleet. This is going to have a very positive impact Scranton, Allentown, and Reading.

on our budget.” AMTRAN drivers and customers have also given

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A Hybrid Technology positive feedback on the new buses. e u n e v A h t f i F 1 0 3 3 0 8 3 # t i m r e P

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8 The easiest explanation for hybrid technology on a bus Made in the USA . d t S . t r s r P

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w is to think of it as a 35-foot Prius. A small displace - The new diesel-electric hybrid buses were built by the

. . . e u s s I s i h T n I y e n o m g n i v a s ment charges the batteries, Gillig Corporation in Hayward, .

Published to inform the community of the benefits of public transportation. Volume XVIII, Number 1 January 2013 Amtran NL January_Layout 1 12/28/12 1:41 PM Page 3

TTHHee TTRRiiPP SSHHeeeeTT Saving money by December repowering buses loyalty reward winners The following AMTRAN customers were Loyalty Reward Program winners in December. Charles Wyatt won a $50 Visa gift card in our AMTRAN is working with Avail Technologies in “Just in Time for Christmas” drawing. State College as the beta site to develop a new Denise Robinson won a $20 Monthly Pass Gift fare collection system called myFare. Card. Nathan Loner won a Super Rider Pass. The new system will have three hardware compo - Carlos Jaso won a Special Rider Pass. nents - a mechanical farebox for cash transactions, You can win too! a smart card reader for electronic transactions, Don’t throw away your Special Rider or Sup er and a mobile data terminal for the driver interface. Rider card when it’s used up. Just print your name One of the advantages for AMTRAN customers and address on the back and drop it into the contest will be that myFare card-holders will no longer box at the front of any AMTRAN bus. have to worry about carrying exact change. Monthly Pass holders get an entry form when they Slow roll-out renew their monthly pass. All you have to do is fill Since the entire system is being developed from it out and drop it in the contest box at the front of scratch, AMTRAN customers will see a slow any AMTRAN bus. Bus #701, the “Our Town” bus, is loaded on a flatbed to be transported to Michigan roll-out of the new fare media over a number of as part of AMTRAN’s capital project to refurbish three 12-year old buses months, so that each component can be tested It’s great to buy new buses when you can. But when engine with a bad new engine. thoroughly before releasing the next one. money is tight, sometimes you have to think differ - So AMTRAN staff submitted a grant application to Discounts and Incentives ently. the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) “State of The first test component will be the AMTRAN AMTRAN has three 2000-model Gillig low-floor Good Repair” program. monthly pass in April. We will contact each of buses that have each accumulated almost 350,000 FTA approved the grant, and AMTRAN went through our monthly pass holders by mail and offer a miles. They have been great buses except for one a competitive procurement to replace the old power - Board of Directors discount for them to come in and get their photo important component. Over time, the original engines train with a completely different and more reliable taken for a new smart card monthly pass. After have proven to be a maintenance nightmare - prob - engine as well as a new transmission. The winning Scott Cessna, Chair the first month, customers will be able to renew lematic and unreliable. contractor was Midwest Bus from Michigan. Jerry Lippert Dick Moran their monthly passes right on the bus . State of Good Repair grant Savings As the program progresses over the following Normally, AMTRAN’s maintenance staff would be For an investment of $75,000 each to refurbish these Bob Reifsteck Mike Robinson months, AMTRAN will offer similar incentives to replacing the engine and transmission in-house after three buses (as opposed to over $350,000 for a new Tony Roscia Denny Stewart customers who use the Super Rider and Special 12 years. But it made no sense to replace a bad old bus), AMTRAN will significantly extend their life. Rider punch cards.