Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority

Berks Area Regional
Transportation Authority

BARTA bus in downtown Reading.
Slogan More than a ride!
Founded 1973[1]
Headquarters Reading, Pennsylvania
Service area Berks County, Pennsylvania
Service type public transit
Hubs BARTA Transportation Center
Reading, Pennsylvania
Fleet 107 vehicles
Fuel type Diesel, hybrid diesel electric, gasoline
Website www.bartabus.com

Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority (BARTA), previously Berks Area Reading Transportation Authority, is a public transportation system serving the city of Reading and its surrounding area of Berks County, Pennsylvania. Dennis D. Louwerse, the long-time executive director/CEO at BARTA, died on Thursday, September 5, 2013 at the age of 68. He became the executive director at BARTA in 1983, and he was the executive director for 30 years until his death in 2013. David W. Kilmer is currently the executive director at BARTA and Red Rose Transit Authority.[2]

History

BARTA was created with the cooperation of the Berks County and the City of Reading in 1973 to purchase the failing Reading Bus Company. In 2010, BARTA became a county authority, overseen by the County of Berks, reflecting its focus on regionalism instead of centralism on the city of Reading.[3]

BARTA Transportation Center

The BARTA Transportation Center opened in 2002, and is located at 7th and Cherry Streets, in Downtown Reading. The transit center is where most routes (except route 6) connect. The former Reading Railroad Franklin Street Station was refurbished and reopened to bus service on September 9, 2013.[3]

BARTA's fleet

BARTA's fleet consists of 107 vehicles. This includes 53 transit buses and 54 paratransit vehicles. BARTA's fixted route fleet was mostly buses powered by Detroit Diesel engines until the production of the Detroit Diesel Series 50 was cut in late 2004. Then BARTA ordered their 05, 07 and 08 Gillig BRTs with Cummins ISL. The first 2 digits of the bus numbers indicate the year the bus was ordered. Even in the 2000s and 2010s. The fleet consists of both 35 foot buses and 40 foot buses. All of BARTA's buses from 2010 and earlier are equipped with Allison Transmissions, and all of them have Bendix air brakes. As of 2009, BARTA has received 40 foot Gillig BRT hybrid electric buses, which use the Cummins ISB engine. In 2009 and 2010, BARTA received 9 Gillig BRT hybrids with the Allison EP-40 hybrid drive system. In 2015, BARTA received 3 E-Drive Hybrid buses, which are series hybrids equipped with BAE Systems HybriDrive Series-E.

BARTA's paratransit fleet consists primarily of Ford E-450 cutaway van chassis with bodies manufactured by Shepard Bros. Inc. and Coach & Equipment Mfg. Corp. as well as Champion Bus Incorporated. The fleet includes gasoline-powered vehicles as well as hybrid electric vehicles equipped with a VTM Ultra Capacitor Hybrid Propulsion System. As of 2014, BARTA has been buying new paratransit vehicles for the Easton Coach Company. This includes Champion Challenger buses with Ford E-450 chassis and a few raised-roof paratransit vans.

Current fleet

Fleet Number(s) Year Manufacturer Model Engine Transmission Notes
0301-0305 2003 Optima Opus 35' Cummins ISB Allison
  • As of November 2015, all have been retired.
  • 0304 was lost due to a fire in January 2008.
0321-0323 2003 New Flyer (NFI) D40LF Detroit Diesel Series 50 Allison B400R
  • As of November 2015, all have been retired.
0406-0410 2004 Optima Opus 35' Cummins ISB Allison
0431-0432 2004 Gillig Low Floor 40' Detroit Diesel Series 50 Allison B400R
0533-0549 2005 Gillig BRT 35' Cummins ISL Allison B400R
0750-0756 2007 Gillig BRT 35' Cummins ISL Allison B400R
0857-0862 2008 Gillig BRT 35' Cummins ISL Allison B400R
0881-0882 2008 Gillig BRT 40' Cummins ISL Allison B400R
0983-0984 2009 Gillig BRT 40' Cummins ISL Allison B400R
0991-0995 2009 Gillig BRT 40' Hybrid Cummins ISB Allison EP-40
  • These buses run on a combination of diesel fuel and electric power.
1096-1099 2010 Gillig BRT 40' Hybrid Cummins ISB Allison EP-40
1101-1119, 1131-1136 2011 Ford/Coach & Equipment E-450/Phoenix
  • Powered by unleaded gasoline
1237-1241 2012 Ford/Coach & Equipment E-450 hybrid
  • Equipped with VTM Ultra Capacitor Hybrid Propulsion System
1301-1302 2013 Ford/Coach & Equipment E-450/Phoenix
1401-1403 2014 Ford E-350
1404-1409 2014 Ford/Champion E-450/Challenger
  • Powered by unleaded gasoline
  • Operated by Easton Coach
1410-1416 2014 Ford/Coach & Equipment E-450 hybrid
  • Equipped with VTM Ultra Capacitor Hybrid Propulsion System
1517-1519 2015 Ford/Champion E-450/Challenger
  • Powered by unleaded gasoline
  • Operated by Easton Coach
1542-1544 2015 Gillig BRT 40' E-Drive Hybrid Cummins ISB BAE Hybrid
1546-1548 2015 Ford/Champion E-450/Challenger
  • Powered by unleaded gasoline

Current Routes

BARTA operates most of its present route network on a hub and spoke type system, in which most passengers transfer between routes at a central location, the BARTA Transportation Center.[4]

Route Line Name Terminal Places Served Notes
1
 Temple via Fifth Street Walmart at North Reading Plaza 5th Street, 5th Street Highway, Fairgrounds Square Mall, Penn Plaza, Plaza 222, Muhlenberg Shopping Center, Target, Temple operates Monday-Sunday
2
 Fairgrounds Square Market Fairgrounds Square Market 9th Street/10th Street, Exeter Street, 11th Street, Rockland Street, Kutztown Road, Madison Avenue, 5th Street Highway, Fairgrounds Square Mall operates Friday-Saturday
3
 Temple via Kutztown Road Walmart at North Reading Plaza 8th Street/9th Street, Kutztown Road, Temple operates Monday-Saturday
4
 10th-11th Streets 10th and Exeter streets Penn Street, 10th Street/11th Street, Rockland Plaza operates Monday-Sunday
5
 Albright College via 12th-13th Streets Reservoir Road and Hampden Boulevard 12th Street/13th Street, Reading Senior High School, Weis Market, Albright College, Hampden Boulevard operates Monday-Saturday
7
 Pennside Stony Creek Towne Houses Penn Street, Perkiomen Avenue, 23rd Street, Carsonia Avenue, Hollywood Court Apartments, Butter Lane, Pennside operates Monday-Saturday
8
 Reiffton/Shelbourne Square/Birdsboro Birdsboro Penn Street, Perkiomen Avenue, Reiffton, Boscov's at Reading Mall, Exeter Commons, U.S. Route 422, Redner's at Shelbourne Square Park and Ride, Walmart at Exeter Square, Lincoln Road operates Monday-Sunday, weekend service terminates at Walmart at Exeter Square
9
 Grill via Kenhorst Redner's at Kenhorst Plaza 4th Street, South Reading, KVP Factory, Alvernia University, Sencit Towne House Apartments, Kenhorst, Grill operates Monday-Saturday
10
 Brookline East Wyomissing Boulevard and Margaret Street 4th Street/6th Street, South Reading, Lancaster Avenue, Brookline Plaza, Hancock Boulevard operates Monday-Sunday
11
 Mohnton via Shillington Main and Church streets in Mohnton 4th Street, South Reading, Lancaster Avenue, Shillington Shopping Center, Shillington, Ollie's Bargain Outlet/Fulton Bank, Wyomissing Avenue operates Monday-Saturday
12
 Lincoln Park via Reading Hospital Berkshire Hills Penn Street, Penn Avenue, West Reading, Reading Hospital, Reading Boulevard, The Highlands at Wyomissing, Kmart at Lincoln Plaza Shopping Center, Spring Towne Center operates Monday-Saturday
14
 Wernersville via Sinking Spring Wernersville State Hospital or McDonald's Park and Ride in Womelsdorf Penn Street, Penn Avenue, West Reading, VF Outlet, Sinking Spring, Redner's at Sinking Spring Plaza, U.S. Route 422, Phoebe Berks Village, Wernersville operates Monday-Saturday, limited service to Womelsdorf
15
 Berkshire Mall Berkshire Mall Penn Street, Penn Avenue, West Reading, VF Outlet, State Hill Road, Walmart at Berkshire Square, Berks Technical Institute operates Monday-Sunday
16
 Broadcasting Square Giant (Monday-Saturday) or Walmart at Berkshire Square (Sunday) Penn Street, Penn Avenue, West Reading, VF Outlet, Park Road, State Hill Road, Berkshire Mall, Penn State Berks, Target at Broadcasting Square operates Monday-Sunday
17
 Glenside/Airport/Berks Heim St. Joseph Medical Center or Berks Heim Schuylkill Avenue, Bernville Road, Reading Regional Airport, MacArthur Road operates Monday-Saturday, limited service to Berks Heim
18
 Schuylkill Avenue Windsor Street and Schuylkill Avenue or St. Joseph Medical Center Downtown Reading, Penn Street, Front Street, Windsor Street, Schuylkill Avenue operates Monday-Sunday, limited evening service to St. Joseph Medical Center
19
 Riverside/FirstEnergy Stadium/Cotton Street 19th and Cotton streets and FirstEnergy Stadium Park and Ride Cotton Street/Perkiomen Avenue, Downtown Reading, BARTA Transportation Center, 6th Street/8th Street, PriceRite, Spring Street, Riverside School, Centre Avenue operates Monday-Sunday, no Sunday service between BARTA Transportation Center and FirstEnergy Stadium
20
 Route 61/Hamburg Cabela's Centre Avenue, Pennsylvania Route 61, Redner's Leesport Park and Ride, Leesport, Shoemakersville, Redner's Hamburg Park and Ride, Hamburg operates Monday-Saturday
21
 Morgantown Express Morgantown Business Park Pennsylvania Route 10, Morgantown, Pennsylvania Route 23 operates Monday-Friday, peak hour service
22
 Lyon Station/East Penn-Deka East Penn Manufacturing Company-Deka in Lyons 8th Street/9th Street, Kutztown Road, U.S. Route 222 Business, Park Road, Blandon, Fleetwood, Fleetwood-Lyons Road operates Monday-Friday

Cooperation with other agencies

As of September 9, 2013, BARTA has expanded its service on a trial basis to Lebanon with connecting service on Lebanon Transit to Harrisburg. This service replaced previously abandoned coach service operated by Bieber Tourways, on July 1, 2013.[5]

BARTA discontinued its service to Lebanon on January 31, 2014 due to low ridership.

Park and Ride Locations

References

  1. ↑ About Barta. BARTA. Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
  2. ↑ David W. Kilmer Faces in the News
  3. 1 2 "About BARTA". Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  4. ↑ "Bus Schedules". Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  5. ↑ BARTA Express Reading Lebanon Harrisburg

External links

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