Easton Intermodal Transportation Center Update

It has been a while since we talked about the Easton Intermodal Transportation Project (EITC) so we wanted to give everyone an update. The 45,000 square foot complex, with an attached garage, the site of the former Perkins restaurant and the long-shuttered Majestic Theater on 3rd Street. This project will not only be the spot for the EITC but also for Easton City Hall, a large parking deck, TransBridge and Susquehanna tour bus terminals and additional vendor space. The main purpose of the transit center is to provide a protected off-street transfer center and terminal for transit and intercity transfers with access to parking. Transportation infrastructure in the form of the intermodal center project will support the economic revitalization of Downtown Easton. You may be wondering where the funds are coming from for this new facility. The Federal Transit Administration, City of Easton, LANta and the Easton Parking Authority have all banded together to make this project a success. A total of $25,000,000 has been awarded to complete this project. $10,000,000 is earmarked for phase one of the project and $15,000,000 for phase two. Ground was broken for phase one, a $10,000,000 project, of the facility on a cold and rainy day in March 2013. This phase includes the erection of a 3–story parking deck and some rough work on the actual building. Work started October 2013 after the RFP’s were awarded and Wilmer Schultz of Emmaus was awarded the contract for general contractor. Also, electrical work is supplied by Thomas Hoffman of Allentown and plumbing and HVAC by KC Mechanical of Mt. Bethel. Due to the extreme and unexpected weather conditions during the early months of 2014 this phase is expected to be complete by the end of 2014. Phase two, with a $15,000,000 budget, will include Easton City Hall and the building of all interior rooms: offices, operator room, passenger waiting rooms, and other facilities necessary for the comfort of transit passengers. Bids for this work were advertised on March 10, 2014 and are due to Easton by April 4, 2013.They are for a general contractor, plumbing company, electrical and HVAC companies and a company that will install elevators. All Easton buses will enter the facility off 3rd Street allowing passengers to alight under roof and also wait for their bus in a closed facility out of the elements with the necessary comforts. When it is complete in spring 2015 this new transportation center will be similar to the Allentown Transfer Center (ATC) 6th and Linden Street.

Earth Day - Volunteers

The Community Action Development Corp. (CADC) and the Lehigh Gap Nature Center will be partnering in greening projects that will have a real impact on life in Allentown. We need volunteers to help make them happen.

Earth Day Tree Planing - Saturday, April 26, 2014
With the help and support of the Dept. of Parks and Recreation, teams of volunteers will be planting beautiful, mature trees along 7th Street, starting from Hamilton Street and working their way up towards Tilghman Street.

Complimentary breakfast and lunch will be served and all volunteers will be given a T-shirt. Contact LANta's team leader, Joe Calhoun, at 610-439-1376 or jcalhoun@lantabus.com for more information and/or to sign up.

83 Buses...9 Of Them New

You may have seen more LANta diesel hybrid electric buses on the roads of the Lehigh Valley since Monday, February 24, 2014. Of the 83 buses in LANta’s bus fleet, twenty-four (24) are now the newer, lower emissions, diesel hybrid electric buses.  Each hybrid bus stands out from the non-hybrid, diesel buses with a raised area towards the rear of the roof. This houses the batteries, the control module for the hybrid propulsion system and cooling fans for the system.

These new buses were purchased through the Pennsylvania State Consortium program that was led by Red Rose Transit Authority (RRTA) in Lancaster. RRTA led a group of 17 transit agencies from across Pennsylvania to collect bids for the purchase of 200 buses over a multi-year period. By entering into a joint purchase, the transit agencies involved were able to obtain more competitive pricing.  So far, LANta has purchased 19 buses through the program and plans additional purchases based on available funding.  The cost of a diesel hybrid electric bus is just under $600,000, where the cost of a standard diesel bus is just under $400,000. However, this price difference is recouped over the first 9 years due to the hybrid vehicles getting over a 50% fuel efficiency compared to standard diesel buses. LANta anticipates using each bus for 13 to 15 years.

The buses were purchased from Gillig Corporation in California.  Five of the new buses are 35’ in length and four are 40’.  The 2014 buses are very similar to the 2012 hybrid buses except for a few upgrades; there is a new and updated hydraulic system along with updated passenger straps for the wheelchair stations. After the buses come off the factory line, each is driven from California to our site in Allentown. Roughly 3,000 miles are on the bus when it arrives. This lengthy drive is a good test to make sure systems are running properly.  The long drive also provides a good “break-in” for the vehicle.

When the buses first arrive it is necessary to install additional equipment needed for revenue service.  A week is spent on each bus installing the farebox, two-way radio and the Automated Transit Management System (ATMS).

As noted above, LANTA has experienced a 50% fuel efficiency gain with these vehicles over the standard diesel powered buses in the fleet.  Based on this experience and LANTA’s current usage in terms of miles per bus, it is anticipated that using diesel hybrid electric buses results in a reduction of approximately 2,780 gallons of diesel fuel needed to operate each LANTA bus annually.  It is estimated that the use of these buses will benefit air quality in the region by reducing NOx, a component of ozone, by -1.9350 kg/day per bus.

These nine new diesel hybrid electric buses will replace 1998 New Flyer buses which have been in service for 16 years.  On Monday, February 24, four of the new buses were put into service, Tuesday, February 25 two more were entered into service and it is expected that by Friday, February 28, all will be in service.

Honoring Rosa Parks Commendable

A letter to the editor, as seen in The Morning Call on-line on Thursday, February 6, 2014.

I was moved to tears when I saw the photo of one of the bus seats being dedicated to the memory of Rosa Parks. Rochell Figueroa, a bus driver, is to be commended for her suggestion and the entire Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority board applauded for its decision.

My family is blessed with vehicles and therefore does not rely on public transportation, but I will be taking my children for a ride on a LANta bus to honor Parks and discuss with them her heroism.

Chris Zweifel
Northampton

ROSA PARKS REMEMBERED

ROSA PARKS REMEMBERED

As Black History month begins, the Allentown Chapter of the NAACP,   the Liberty Bell Museum of Allentown and the LANTA Authority Board of Directors have joined forces to honor Rosa Parks in a very special way on the 101^st anniversary of her birth. LANTA has designated a “Rosa Parks seat” on each of the 86 buses in its fleet at a dedication ceremony held earlier today, Tuesday, February 4 at the LANta terminal at 1:00 p.m. Then officers, employees and dignitaries “rode with Rosa” to the Liberty Bell Museum in Allentown for the reception opening the museum’s winter exhibit, “From the Bell to the Bus and Beyond: Rosa Parks.”

On each LANta bus above the seat bearing a plaque, an explanatory placard features Rosa Parks’ picture and a note stating “The seat located below this sign is dedicated to the memory of Rosa Parks. Her refusal to move from a bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 sparked a bus boycott and helped usher in the civil rights movement, changing public transportation and American society. As you sit here, remember her.”

The Liberty Bell Museum exhibit traces the civil rights movement back through time to the civil war, when abolitionists first began to call the iconic bell, the Liberty bell. Moving forward in time, the exhibit shows how, following the abolition of slavery, the development of Jim Crow laws necessitated the modern civil rights movement. Rosa Parks’s story emerges from this background, then raises questions about the issue of racial justice today.

The museum exhibit also features an actual seat from a LANta bus where you can sit and ponder Rosa Parks’ action, then think about contemporary issues. There also is a section about Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as the relationship between the Liberty Bell and the Bible.  The exhibit will run through May.

A Few Good Men

LANta would like to recognize two dedicated and longtime employees who are retiring from the Authority.

Denis J. Meyers, LANta Assistant Executive Director:  7.1.1975 –  1.31.2014

Denis J. Meyers, Assistant Executive Director, Development for the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA), Allentown, PA is retiring after 38 ½ years.  Meyers joined the Authority in July, 1975 as Director of Marking. 

Over the years, he advanced in responsibilities and held positions as Director of Special Projects and Director of Development before being appointed Assistant Executive Director in 1990. 

During his tenure, he contributed in a variety of levels within the LANTA organization including: marketing, public relations and advertising, planning, government relations, grants, project development and management, labor negotiations, paratransit contract management, human resources and training.

Meyers graduated in 1970 from DeSales University with a bachelor of arts in English Literature, an area of study that prepared him well for work in the transit industry with its challenges of Shakespearian proportions.

Meyers is married to Michele B. Meyers and they have three grown sons: Joshua, Christopher and Alexander.

 Mike Lopsonzski, LANta Director or Maintenance and Material:  1.1.1979 – 2.28.2014

Mike Lopsonzski, Director of Maintenance and Materials, is retiring from the ranks of LANta after a 35 years career.

After graduating from Penn State University he spent several years employed in the Planning Department of the City of Allentown before he joined LANta in 1979 as an assistant in the Development Department. In this department Mike was assigned to the preparation of grant applications but it became apparent that his real affinity and forte’ was for the “hardware” of the organization: the city transit fleet.

Mike soon was demonstrating not only his abilities to understand the mechanics of the fleet vehicles, but in understanding the mechanics: literally! During a re-organization of staff a new position of Parts and Information Manager was a perfect fit for Mike. 

Mike was named to the senior management as Director of Materials and Maintenance in 1998.

Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce...Community Development Award

        For more than forty years Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANta) has been an engine for community and economic development throughout the greater Lehigh Valley region. As our demographic, business and residential patterns shifted so did LANta’s response in providing bus service. Today LANta serves some five million riders a year. More than 50% of those trips are taken by people going to and from their jobs. Riders and their employers know the important role LANta plays, through its LANtaBus fixed-route division, in the economic vitality of the valley.

        LANta’s leading role in the development of centralized transportation centers is appreciated by riders as well as business and municipal leaders. With the completion later this year of the Easton Intermodal Transportation Center on Third Street, LANta will have major modern transfer centers in all three cities: at Sixth and Linden Streets in Allentown as well as Broad and Guetter Streets in Bethlehem. Lehigh Valley Mall also serves as an important hub for the transit system.

        In addition, LANta provides leadership as we move to a more transit, bicycle and pedestrian-friendly smart growth paradigm. And through its LANtaBus paratransit division, LANta has been a pioneer since the 1970s in providing specialized, door-to-door transportation at a low cost for the elderly and people with disabilities.

       While keeping their eye on its mission to provide safe and reliable transit service LANta has committed to helping the community’s environment with the addition of hybrid-electric buses. Given the millions of miles driven LANta’s slogan on those buses, ‘A Greener Lehigh Valley…One Mile at a Time’, may be a bit modest.

       For decades the people of LANta including bus drivers, maintenance personnel and administrative staff, have been a very important part of LANta’s commitment to the development of our great community. Hundreds have participated in United Way campaigns, blood drives, as well as food, clothing and toy drives for the less fortunate among us. And LANta is always at the ready when local emergencies strike.

      As the Lehigh Valley continues to grow we can be assured that LANta will to play a vital role in our economic development.

Happy Thanksgiving and Hannukah!

Happy Thanksgiving - one of the 7 holidays LANta observes during the calendar year - No bus or van service Thursday, Nov 28th. Regular service resumes Friday, Nov 29th.  This year, Thanksgiving and Hannukah fall in the same time period so Happy Hannukah to all our Jewish friends.  We are thankful for you!  Gobble tov!

LANta does not operate service on Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas
and New Year's Day.  The specific dates are listed on LANta's web page: 

http://www.lantabus.com/holidayservice.html

Armando V. Greco Maintenance Facility

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.

The New Garage

In mid April, 2012, the LANTA Board of Directors, representatives of the Federal Transit Administration, PennDOT and invited guests and employees, gathered for the groundbreaking for a new garage and maintenance facility at the Allentown headquarters, 1060 Lehigh Street, Allentown.  Here it is 18 months later and the same group has been invited to a ceremonial dedication of the new facility on Tuesday, October 22 at 10:30 a.m.

The Armando V. Greco Maintenance Facility - 2013

The new building was actually occupied two weeks ago as maintenance staff and mechanics moved into the new environment and workspace.  It is working and working well as a state-of-the-art bus maintenance facility.

As with most of LANTA capital improvement projects, this one has been completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

The new garage was necessitated in order to accommodate new vehicle technologies and different kind of buses.  In the past three decades, electronics are more and more essential elements of a city transit vehicle.  You are as likely these days to see a bus mechanic with a laptop as you are with a wrench. Therefore, new diagnostic and electronic calibrating repair tools are necessary: this new facility offers those in abundance. 

Also, within the past 10 years, LANTA has made a commitment to purchase hybrid vehicles - vehicles powered by a combination of diesel and electric energy.  Hybrid buses are more efficient in terms of fuel economy, pollutants are kept at a minimum and systems last much longer with less maintenance. These vehicles are engineered differently than the standard diesel engine bus. Many of the systems on the vehicle must be accessed above not below the vehicle.  So, a garage with high ceilings and catwalks in addition to bus lifts was needed.

The building is of course, more energy efficient; brighter in terms of illumination; and easier to keep clean.  Special materials were employed on floors and walls to make clean up easier and more effective.  It is also a healthier work space with great attention paid to safety and a cleaner air environment.

We will publish more about the building after next Tuesday's Dedication Ceremony but one surprise announcement we cannot wait to reveal: The LANTA Board of Directors earlier this year decided to name the new facility in honor of its long term Executive Director.  The building will be officially dedicated next Tuesday as the Armando V. Greco Maintenance Facility.

Again, we will publish more about this next week, but right now we want to say congratulations to Armand for a most fitting honor.  He was instrumental in the planning effort that led to the creation of LANTA back in 1972 and, since 1977 has guided the Authority to stability and growth that exceeded everyone expectations way back when.  With more than 40 years of public service, Mr. Greco is one local municipal authority executive who truly deserves recognition.

Encouraging ridership

The last newsletter was the first article in a series that highlighted a department at LANta and reviewed cost saving efforts. Each department is doing their part, and this week we go in depth in the Marketing and Publicity Department and have found they are working diligently to achieve cost savings in through addressing certain target audiences.  This is one area where money invested can achieve a return: each new rider for LANTA brings in revenue and since the Authority's purpose is to provide service, the more provided, the more success is gained.

1. LANta’s web page, which was designed as part of the Authority’s Moving LANta Forward initiative and implemented a year and ½ ago, was a result of a thorough analysis of LANta’s corporate brand. The page, www.lantabus.com, was revamped, given a face-lift, and tested for ease of use locating bus information, as well as background about the Authority.

This new web site is more user-friendly and almost anything you would like to find out about LANta can be found there. Technology makes the web site available for access 24/7. With this option customers have far greater opportunities to ride the bus and it also gives them the choice to ride at all different times.

Last year LANta took home the AD Wheel Award from the Annual APTA meeting. This recognized them for excellence in communications and web page design. LANta was also called the “best of the best” of the public transportation industry, representing an outstanding role model of excellence, leadership and innovation whose accomplishments on their website have greatly advanced public transportation.

2. As always, LANta has live operators answering the phones from 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. If the phones were covered 24/7 the costs would skyrocket.  During times when Customer Service is closed, or even if they are open, we encourage customers to download our free app. to their iPhone or iPad and access bus real-time information (a Droid app is in the works). They are also encouraged to go through the, www.lantabus.com, to access weather alerts, LANtaVan information, and stay current on happenings at the transit Authority.  This gives riders, and future riders, a far greater opportunity to ride the bus and it also allows them the option to ride at all times. As ridership goes up so does revenue!

3. LANta can be found on social media sites, currently Facebook, Twitter,  YouTube, , and this blog which also appears on the on the home page of LANTA's website: www.lantabus.com. These are additional avenues that customers can follow to find out the latest news and updates with their public transit system.  Staff is very diligent in answering all posts, as each one of our customers is important.

4. A series of How to Ride the Bus videos, which can be found on the Authority’s website and at You Tube, have been updated to give a more accurate and up-to-date overview of the system. Currently, there is a separate video which provides an introduction to riding public transit in the Lehigh Valley. The other videos highlight tips, suggestions, and rules for riders; explain people with disabilities accessing the service; a tutorial on how to read LANta bus schedule; and current fares.  In the works is a chapter on technology and how to access transit information 24/7.

With the technology that LANta is providing the community to access public transportation information, our ridership is being supported in various alternative ways. Also, it is imperative that the younger, technical generation be addressed, as they are the future riders of public transportation. Providing technical opportunities to access the bus will go a long way with them, and provide LANta with an increase in revenue.

Efficiencies in Transit - LANTA style

We are publishing a series or articles on the savings the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) has achieved over the past few years.  These were originally published in a series of weekly newletters:

In today’s economy it’s all about making shrinking dollars go further and LANta is doing its best to keep costs down. Over the next few weeks, we intend to highlight various areas of LANta operations and focus on efforts to keep costs down.

Information technology (IT) is one of the major costs any business has today. Hodges Technology, Inc. (HTI) of Easton is LAnta’s subcontracted IT Department and one of their goals is to reduce the need for costly IT infrastructure investments. 

1. About 1 ½ years ago HTI looked into changing the data communications system from a T1 line to a dedicated high-speed fiber-optic system.  At that time LANTA was using two T1 circuits with a total of 3Mg /second bandwidth and LANta was paying close to $1,268 a month. RCN fiber-optic lines are now providing LANta 20Mg /second of dedicated bandwidth for $560 a month. Increasing the data communication performance by 677%, while at the same time saving LANta $700 a month is the kind of efficiency we strive to achieve

2. Systamec System Recovery is the industry standard for server backup and recovery. This software costs $600 per license. Due to the complexity of LANta’s server installation, it requires 19 licenses in order to fully protect in the event of a disaster. The backup software needs to be updated every three years. This works out to $316.67 per month, and does not include the costs of hardware replacement and maintenance. HTI estimates the hardware costs to be approximately $150 per year. Recently LANta has been migrated to a cloud-integrated Barracuda Backup Server with automatic redundant off-site replication. 
         The Barracuda Backup combines a plug-and-play appliance for onsite backups with cloud and private cloud disc-based replication to quickly and securely store data in multiple locations off-site. This service, with higher functionality and reliability, and lower maintenance overhead costs LANta $250 per month. This works out to nearly a $1000 savings per year.

3. HTI has proposed the consolidation of LANta’s current file and SQL Database servers down to a single Unified Commuting System (UCS) server. The UCS will take the place of two physical servers, as well as allow for low cost expansion.   The new UCS server will be able to provide resources for up to six virtual servers.  Another advantage of the UCS system is that this new file server will provide increased data security and protection against corruption, virus and malware damage, as compared to a Windows server based system. 

While all this is technical in nature, the bottom line is, it is an example of the continuing effort to improve LANta’s bottom line. Constantly evaluating its network and taking steps to reduce ongoing and capital costs will have a significant return on investment as funding becomes more and more constrained.

Minor Service Changes Feb 11

A number of small service adjustments are going into effect on Monday, February 11th.  These are detailed here.  These adjustments are routine changes resulting from passenger and driver information to make routes respond better to demand and changing conditions.

When it snows

When snow and ice hits the streets, and eventually it will, driving may once again be treacherous. The Cities and PennDOT do a good job of getting out early and removing snow and treating ice, but inevitably at some point with a major, and sometimes with a minor, storm, driving gets tough.

People must get to work, school and to other events. Riding the bus may be a viable option instead of driving in inclement weather.


LANta buses and vans will, in most cases, be running to aid you in your travels. As with all vehicles in severe inclement weather conditions, they may be a moving slower than usual and changes will be necessary to the regular route or schedule, due to traffic and other obstructions.  LANta's buses can get through heavy snows.  Problems are usually a result of other vehicles on the road getting stuck or involved in accidents.  

Dispatch offices in Allentown and Easton, using the radio control system, keep bus operators informed of detours and schedule changes. With this information LANta operators will be able to maneuver the buses in the best way possible. 

A snow emergency is declared when weather conditions are such, that only main roads are passable. Most buses have “Snow Emergency” Brochures in take-one boxes on board, or you can call customer service and have one mailed to you or you can email customerservice@lantabus.com and one will be sent to you.

Before you leave home to catch a bus, check the LANta website, www.lantabus.com and see what alerts are posted and whether the system is operating on Snow Emergency Routes.   In very rare instances, LANta may decide for safety sake, to take the the buses off the roads and we try to get word out early or well in advance of such service terminations.   There is a link to the Snow Emergency Route Guide for reference also.

If you do not have internet access or are unable to get on-line, call LANta’s customer service hotline at 610-776-RIDE (7433). This phone line is open Monday – Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Saturday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. If the lines are very busy or we are not able to staff the telephones because of the weather, an automated attendant will inform you if LANta is running on a regular schedule or a snow emergency schedule.

Passengers can also listen for information on:
 
WFMZ-TV 69 News
WAEB-AM 790
WAEB-FM B104
WCTO-FM 96.1 Cat Country
WLEV-FM 100.7
WODE-FM 99.9 The Hawk