More Trips, Stops Added to TACT Lines Today

 

by Jonathan Weaver

Community open houses and survey results during the past few months prompted some route changes to be made to Town and Country Transit’s three route lines.

Effective today, changes were made to the Yellow Line (Wick City), Green Line (Ford City) and Blue Line (East Franklin Township).

General Manager Patti Lynn Baker and Operations Manager Gerry Miller explained changes came after feedback was made via customers, community stakeholders and Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s subcontractor –AECOM - during the past few months.

The biggest changes impact the Green Line, which runs regularly through areas in Manor Township and Ford City.

A total of four trips have been added to the 19-stop schedule.

Armstrong County Commissioners also requested more than a half-dozen trips to Career Link’s new offices at the former Agway location in Rayburn Township, which corresponds to trips to and from Armstrong Junior/Senior High School not operating until September.

Routing through Lenape Heights has been simplified, and service to the Fairgrounds neighborhood is discontinued.

Trips on the Blue line (which services Applewold, West Kittanning and East Franklin Township – including ACMH Hospital, Hilltop Plaza and Community Action) leave the Terminal at 30 minutes after the hour beginning at 5:30AM, with additional trips being made at 1PM, 2PM, 8:15PM, and 9:40PM.

Baker said customers suggested more direct trips to ACMH Hospital without cutting through side streets, and the change should not affect many passengers.

“For the most part, people might have to walk a block more than before – I don’t think we’ve contracted our routes that much. They don’t go zigging-and-zagging through streets as much as they did,” Baker said.

Baker said two trips on the Yellow Line have been added and will leave the terminal at 10 minutes after each hour. One of the main changes includes the Armstrong County Health Center along South McKean Street.

“We had an awful-lot of requests to be going to the (Armstrong County) Health Center. We (previously) had them as ‘request-only’ stops, (but a lot of times we left the terminal, we were getting requests to stop there, and we weren’t getting a lot of trips at the Lemon Way end, so we determined it was a better use of our resources to make the Health Center a stop every trip we left the terminal,” Baker said.

The fixed-route buses will then return to the terminal via Colwell Street.

Miller added that at some point during their routes, every fixed-route bus will stop at the Health Center.

A bus shelter was already available at the Armstrong County Health Center for Health Center residents, along with those at Garden Towers and Balcony Towers in Kittanning. Health Center employees can also utilize the fixed-routes frequently.

An open house was even at the Armstrong County Health Center in June.

New printed schedules are available at locations throughout the county, including at the aforementioned-Career Link, ACMH and the health center.

While the changes went into effect today, TACT officials want to hear feedback and if there are any adverse effects. All input was considered from the open houses, but the next two months are a trial period, Miller said.

“These aren’t etched in stone. Actually, nothing in public transit’s ever etched in stone as far as schedules,” Baker said. “They’re very fluid and they’ll always be moving with demand.”

No drivers had to be added with the route changes.

Baker said other adjustments are forecast for after Labor Day.
Both officials praised AECOM and Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission for their support. A final report is expected later this Summer.