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Tuesday, July 17th was a very happy day for CATA and for our community. House Bill 1590, the transportation funding legislation that had been under consideration in the General Assembly for over a month, was passed by the House of Representatives and sent to Governor Rendell, who then signed the Bill into law on the following day.
The new legislation includes:
Although it is too early to assess all the ways in which the new legislation will affect CATA, it does appear to address many, if not all, of the key elements that CATA and its supporters have been advocating. For instance, the new program is indeed unified, adequate, dedicated, predictable and growing - just as we had hoped. It also is structured so that the new funding will be allocated by one simple formula based on needs and performance - service supplied and service consumed - and that same formula is applied to all of the state’s transit systems, large and small. Lastly is appears that at long last state transit assistance may be available to the outlying parts of Centre County.
In terms of dollars, initial estimates indicate that state operating assistance for CATA will increase about 55 percent, to roughly $2.9 million, as a “catch-up” to account for the past seven years in which there has been virtually no growth in funding. The legislation also includes a new dedicated capital account that will provide CATA on the order of $1.1 million annually for investment in our rolling stock and other infrastructure. This is particularly important, as CATA’s CNG buses, which were purchased in the late 1990’s are beginning to reach the end of their expected life.
If you are one of the many citizens of Centre County who contacted our Legislators in Harrisburg to encourage them to support increased funding for public transportation, I would like to thank you on behalf of the CATA Board of Directors, our staff, and the thousands of others in our community who rely on public transportation. I am certain that it was the dedicated efforts of Pennsylvanians like you that inspired the General Assembly and the Administration to work so hard to find a solution to the state’s transit funding crisis. Please accept our sincere appreciation for your help and for your continued support of CATA!
Hugh A.
Mose
General Manager
CENTRE LINE Full Service Schedule To Resume August 27
CENTRE
LINE
CATA will resume its CENTRE LINE Full Service schedule on Monday, August 27.
Below is an abbreviated list of enhancements and service changes that will take
effect on that date.
C, H, K & W Routes:
· Select trips have been moved back three to four minutes
· Several select bus stops have been moved along the H and K RoutesS Route:
· Schedule has been altered to reflect the completion of area constructionN, R & V Routes:
· Additional time has been added into each schedule
· V Route has been extended to serve northern end of Oakwood
· R and NV EXPRESS trips have been merged into the regular serviceP Route:
· Service on select trips has been extended to the University Park AirportX Route:
· Off-peak trips currently bypassing Governor’s Gate will now also
bypass Parkview Heights
LOOP
and LINK
CATA will resume its LOOP and LINK Full Service schedule on Saturday, August
25.
All LOOP and LINK Routes:
· Break and Summer Service have been combined into one “Reduced Service Schedule”
Fall/Winter 2007 schedule and service information (including exact route, schedule,
and fare information and a list of all Fall service enhancements and service
changes) will be available mid-August in the Fall 2007 Ride Guide, on the CATA
website at www.catabus.com, and by calling (814) 238-CATA(2282).
CATA and Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will be providing free shuttle service from Downtown State College to the Ag Progress Days festivities scheduled for Tuesday, August 14, through Thursday, August 16, at the Russell E. Larson Research Center in Rock Springs.
Hourly service begins at 9:40 a.m. leaving College & Allen at 40 minutes after each hour. The final return to State College leaves Rock Springs at 4:10 p.m. each day, except on Wednesday, August 15, when service will be extended and the last shuttle will depart from Rock Springs at 8:10 p.m.
For additional information on the Ag Progress Days Shuttle service, please refer to the Ag Progress Days Shuttle schedule brochures which can be found on all CATA buses, visit the CATA website at www.catabus.com, or call (814) 238-CATA(2282).
Bellefonte Arts and Crafts Fair Shuttle Service
CATA will be providing free shuttle service to the Bellefonte Arts and Crafts Fair, scheduled for Friday, August 17, and Saturday, August 18, with frequent service from the Saint John’s Lutheran Church (McAllister Street) and the Faith United Methodist Church (512 Hughes Street) to Downtown Bellefonte, at the heart of the event. The shuttle will make three stops: the intersections of Bishop & Allegheny Streets, Spring & High Streets, and Howard & Allegheny Streets next to the post office.
The shuttle will run every 24 minutes from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. on Friday, and from 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. This service is free to the public (donations benefiting Historic Bellefonte, Inc. will be accepted) and all trips are wheelchair accessible.
For additional information on the Bellefonte Arts and Crafts Fair Shuttle service, please visit the CATA website at www.catabus.com or call (814) 238-CATA(2282).