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Effective October 1 CATA is expanding its “family of public transportation services” by introducing vanpools to the RideShare program, CATA’s carpool matching service.
RideShare, in operation since 1999, brings people traveling from or through the same communities to work in the Centre Region, and helps them establish carpools. “The RideShare program has proven itself to be a great success,” notes Terri Quici, CATA’s RideShare Coordinator. “Today, the RideShare participant list includes over 500 individuals and more than 200 active carpools, coming into the State College area from eleven counties throughout central Pennsylvania.”
As the first step in the creation of CATA’s new community-wide vanpool service, Penn State and CATA have agreed to transition six existing faculty/staff vanpools to the new initiative. For almost twenty years Penn State has made vans available to groups of University employees commuting long distances. Currently vanpool groups originate in the Moshannon Valley, Lewistown, Altoona and Tyrone areas. With Penn State and CATA working together, the new arrangement will enable commuters traveling in or out of the Centre Region to participate in the program.
The new vanpool initiative has been made possible by funding from the federal Congestion Management/Air Quality (CMAQ) program, for which the Centre Region became eligible this year. The Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization allocated funds to the new program, in response to a request by CATA, as a small step towards reducing traffic congestion and air pollution. Over the course of the coming months, additional vanpools will be added, as rider interest develops and funding becomes available.
According to Hugh Mose, CATA General Manager, “We have wanted to add vanpools to our carpool matching program since the late 1990’s, but until the funding became available, it just wasn’t possible. Now, as a result of the funding allocated by the Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization, we are able to get the program started, and thanks to the cooperation and support of the University, we are able to jump start it with the six existing Penn State vans.”
Carpooling and vanpooling are cost-effective alternatives for long-distance commuters, who can enjoy the savings and convenience of sharing a ride to work. Persons interested in a car- or vanpool may self-register on the CATA website, www.catabus.com. For more information on the RideShare program, please visit the CATA website or contact Terri Quici, CATA RideShare Coordinator, at (814) 238-CATA(2282) ext. 134 or rideshare@catabus.com.
What IS the story with Bus #85? The bus is part of an extensive hydrogen demonstration project being conducted by Penn State’s Pennsylvania Transportation Institute (PTI).
In 2004, PTI began working with Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. of Allentown, and Collier Technologies of Reno, NV, on a broad research initiative aimed at demonstrating hydrogen-fueled vehicles, exploring the emergence of hydrogen as a publicly-accepted transportation fuel, and evaluating the costs and efficiencies of hydrogen as compared to gasoline and other alternative fuels.
As part of the initiative, PTI successfully pursued a demonstration project, funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, to convert one of CATA’s forty-foot New Flyer CNG-powered buses to run on HCNG (a hydrogen/compressed natural gas blend). Substituting a Daewoo engine for the original Detroit Diesel power plant enabled PTI researchers to experiment with the engine control module and achieve satisfactory performance with a blend of 30 percent hydrogen and 70 percent compressed natural gas.
After months of prep work, vehicle modifications and testing at PTI’s test track, the HCNG bus recently went into revenue service, being used primarily on the LOOP routes. The bus is being fueled at a new hydrogen and HCNG fueling station located on Campus, a facility funded by Air Products and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Extensive data on the operational and environmental performance of the vehicle will be collected in an effort to gauge on-street performance using the HCNG blend. If the project is deemed successful, CATA hopes to use the experience to promote other research opportunities with Penn State, and also as a springboard to additional emerging propulsion technologies, such as CNG-powered hybrids.
For more information, please
visit the PTI website at www.pti.psu.edu.
The annual Pennsylvania State University Homecoming Parade is scheduled to take place on the evening of Friday, October 12. As a result of road closings across Campus during the parade, significant detours on all CENTRE LINE, LOOP and LINK routes will be in effect throughout the early evening.
Closer to the event date, a list of specific detours by route and a list of times during which the detours remain in place will be posted on the CATA website at www.catabus.com and will be available by calling the CATA office at (814) 238-CATA(2282).
CATA Game Day Football Shuttles
Again this season, CATA will be providing shuttle service to the Penn State home football games.
CATA’s Game Day Football Shuttles are again split into two separate routes – one serving Downtown State College (Downtown Shuttle) and one serving Hills Plaza and other South Atherton Street hotels and businesses (South Atherton Shuttle).
The Downtown Shuttle will serve the Downtown State College area with the following pick-ups on Beaver Avenue: the corner of Atherton Street and Beaver Avenue and the Schlow Library stop at the corner of Beaver Avenue and Allen Street.
The South Atherton Shuttle will serve the Hills Plaza parking lot and all designated South Atherton stops from Hills Plaza to Easterly Parkway; it will also serve Rolling Ridge and Windmere Drives. (Parking is available at the rear parking lot of Hills Plaza, along the streets in Windmere Park (Rolling Ridge Drive and Windmere Drive), and the Easterly Parkway Elementary School). Please note that parking at the Hills Plaza is limited to the rear of the Plaza only-no parking in front or alongside Ollie's will be permitted.
Each Game Day Shuttle bus stop is distinctly marked by a new special sign showing which of the two shuttle routes serve that stop. Each route will only stop at these marked locations.
Shuttles begin operation three hours before kick-off and run continuously until one hour after each game is over. (The exception to this is on October 27, when the Shuttles will begin service 5 hours prior to kick-off). Both Shuttles operate in both directions every ten minutes before the game, every twenty minutes during the game, and every ten minutes one-way from the stadium following the game.
Fare for either shuttle is $2.00 (exact fare only). Individuals presenting a valid U.S. Medicare Card, Senior Transit Identification Card or a CATA Reduced Fare Identification Card may ride for half the fare ($1.00). Drivers do not carry change.
For more information on these Penn State football shuttle services or on alternate transportation options via CATA’s CENTRE LINE service, please refer to the CATA Game Day Shuttles schedule brochures available on all CATA buses, visit the CATA website at www.catabus.com or call (814) 238-CATA (2282)
Watch out for “Tripper,” CATA’s mini parade bus, to make appearances at upcoming local parades, starting with the Penn State Homecoming Parade this month! The parade bus was designed and created by CATA Maintenance Staff last summer and has made several appearances earlier this year.