TACT Ready to Roll to Armstrong Junior-Senior High
Town and Country Transit makes one of its first stops outside Armstrong Junior-Senior High School Thursday afternoon. The bus will be available at three points after regular school hours for students and faculty beginning November 2 at a discounted rate.
by Jonathan Weaver
In about a week, Armstrong Junior-Senior High students and faculty will have another resource to get back home if they need to stay on the Manor Township campus longer than most.
Following the school board’s approval earlier this month, Town and Country Transit leaders have devised a draft “Green Line” schedule that includes picking up and dropping off passengers at the new school along Buffington Drive.
During a “dry run” Thursday following the school’s dismissal, Operations Manager Gerry Miller drove a pair of fixed-route drivers to the new bus stop in front of the school and explained the route changes that are ready to be implemented November 1.
If successfully implemented, students will be able to first utilize the fixed-route bus Monday, November 2. The “Green Line” does not provide transportation Sundays.
District Transportation Director Jon Fair, Senior High Principal James Rummel and Academic Principal Michael Cominos suggested Town and Country Transit stop at the school shortly before 4PM, 5PM and after final practices end at 9PM.
“When we gave them the times we proposed, the times were based on when our typical practice schedules would end,” Cominos said.
Cominos and Miller were both anxious to see how many students utilize the buses – which are scheduled to leave the Kittanning terminal and be at the new school at 3:45, 4:55 and 9:05PM Monday through Saturday.
“We’re not sure what kind-of reception we’re going to get yet, but we’re going to at least make an honest attempt at being able to offer this community service. We’re doing it for the betterment of the community, Miller said.
“Hopefully it’s a success and we teach people the value of the public transportation provided.”
Town and Country Transit General Manager Patti Lynn Baker added that the new stop has the potential to help parents who might still be at work.
“Around those times is what fit into our schedule – one of the things that’s very important when you’re doing fixed route is we need to include the general public,” Baker said. “We were able to make changes to our schedule and still include the general public, as well as include any school students or faculty that may want to ride as well. It’s definitely open to anyone who would want to ride.”
For example, after the 3:45 and 9:05PM pick-ups, riders would be in Downtown Ford City within 15 minutes.
The 9:05PM trip time also coincides with students that are enrolled in Butler County Community College courses at the Lenape Tech campus in Manor Township.
The extra mode of transportation would cost students $1 with valid student identification and save them about 50 cents from the normal fare.
Like with other fixed-route drivers, Baker hoped that the “Green Line” drivers will be able to get to know secondary students who utilize the bus service and help them get close to home or their next destination.
Though it was a private trip, fixed-route driver Valerie Smeltzer (who was on the “dry run” with fellow driver Tracy Smith) transported 10 Life Skills students and four adults for the first time yesterday afternoon.
Students rode from Armstrong Junior-Senior High to the Kittanning terminal before they switched bus lines en route to the former-Kittanning Senior High yesterday afternoon.
“It went great – they were wonderful,” Smeltzer said. “It was a pretty-full bus.”
Both Smeltzer and Smith – and both of East Franklin Township – are familiar with driving students as they used to drive for A.J. Myers.
Cominos said the extra transportation route for students is a nice addition.
“I think any time you have public transportation, that’s a valuable resource for a community. There are other school districts in the state that depend on public transportation to get their kids around different places – we’re fortunate that we’re able to provide transportation to our students,” Cominos said. “(Town and Country Transit) providing their service is a nice addition.”
Once the schedule is finalized, it will be available on the Town and Country Transit website, at the terminal (at the corner of North McKean and Arch St.) and on the buses.
A link to a fixed-route interactive map is also available via the transit website.
Armstrong School District | jweaver October 23, 2015
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