October 22, 2013 was a major day in the forty-year history
of Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority. The dedication of its new
$14-million state-of-the-art maintenance facility was crowned by its naming for
long-time Executive Director Armando V. Greco.
Named
LANta's first executive director in 1977 the young Villanova University
engineering graduate laid the groundwork for the formation of the Authority
from his position at the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. Under Greco's
leadership LANta has grown significantly both in fleet size as well as
ridership. Since 1997 ridership has risen by more than 70 percent.
In remarks
at the dedication board chairman Timothy Brady noted Greco's leadership role in
many capital improvement programs
"that not only improved the physical assets of the Authority, but
replaced the fleet twice during his tenure, all of which ensured the very best
travel experience for our riders."
"Over
the decades," Brady added, "Armand has also been leader in the
development of major transportation Centers in Allentown and Bethlehem, with
the new Easton Intermodal Center scheduled to open in 2014."
The newly minted Armando V. Greco
Maintenance Facility replaces a structure built in 1953, with parts dating to
1909. It is three times larger than the
original facility and features in-ground
self –contained lifts, more space to work between buses, pressure washing steam
room for undercarriage cleaning of buses,
tire room and battery rooms, a nearly full-length skylight for better
vision, above ground storage tanks, and
additional modern equipment and utilities.
More than one hundred guests attended the dedication
including Greco's wife, Jacqueline, their twin daughters and grandchildren,
LANta board members, staff, bus operators
and mechanics and other leading members of the Lehigh Valley community.
Greco was also cited by Lehigh Valley Congressmen Charlie
Dent "for his untiring dedication to the riding public in this great
community" and State Senator Pat Browne provided a resolution honoring the LANTA Executive.
In his own remarks, Greco
thanked the board for "an honor that is rightly shared by hundreds of
LANta employees who over these many years helped make this the quality
organization that it is." Greco stated that he "accepted this honor on behalf of the hundreds of employees over the decades, who were responsible for LANTA's successes."
At the conclusion of the dedication a large bronze plaque
was unveiled. It will be affixed to an exterior wall where the executive offices meet
the new Armando V. Greco Maintenance
Facility.
LANta does not operate service on Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas
