Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority

Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority

Current livery
Slogan Ride the 'e'
Founded September 20, 1966
Headquarters 127 East 14th Street
Erie, Pennsylvania
 United States
Service area Erie County
Service type Bus
Routes 24
Fleet 68 buses
Annual ridership 3,408,171[1] (2012)
Increase 8.3% from 2011
Fuel type Diesel, CNG
Chief executive Michael Tann
Website www.ride-the-e.com

The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority (EMTA) is the transit authority that owns and operates the public transport system in the city of Erie and around Erie County, Pennsylvania which includes the 'e', the area's transit buses; LIFT, the county paratransit service; and Bayliner Trolley, the downtown circulator.

History

A newspaper photograph of an early EMTA bus and streetcar.

The first public transportation system in Erie was established on March 1, 1897 as the Erie City Passenger Railway Company. On October 8, 1888, the Erie Electric Motor Company took control of the Erie City Passenger Railway.[2] The Conneaut and Erie Railway Traction Company was formed in 1903 and ran trolleys to east of the city.[3] On December 24, 1906, the Buffalo and Lake Erie Traction Company took control of the Erie Electric Motor Company and completed its 92-mile (148 km) line to Buffalo, New York in 1909.[3] When the Conneaut and Erie was abandoned on September 16, 1922, the West Ridge Transportation Company was started the next year to run buses along the abandoned trolley route.[3] The Buffalo and Lake Erie was reorganized into the Buffalo and Erie Railway Company on September 5, 1924 and the streetcar system in Erie was split from the Buffalo and Erie to form the Erie Railways Company.[4] Unable to expanded to invest in an expansion of the streetcar system, four Yellow Coach "Z"'s were acquired and were operated by the Erie Coach Company, a newly formed subsidiary of the Erie Railways Company in 1925.[4] The last of its trolleys ran between Erie and New York on December 1, 1932.[5] The streetcars were put out of service in 1935. The city and county took over the Erie Coach Company and formed the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority on September 20, 1966.[6]

The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority renamed its bus service "the 'e'" on June 11, 2010.[7]

The 'e'

Routes

An EMTA New Flyer D35LF
Route Description Notes
M1 Perry Square / Millcreek Mall via Cherry Street
M3 Intermodal Center / Millcreek Mall / Summit via Peach Street
M4 Intermodal Center / Millcreek Mall via Liberty Street
11 Perry Square / Mercyhurst College / Harborcreek / Mercyhurst North East Monday–Saturday only
12 Perry Square / Millcreek Mall / Fairview / Girard / Lake City / Albion Mondays and Tuesdays only
13 Millcreek Mall / Waterford / Union City / Corry Fridays only
14 Perry Square / Millcreek Mall / McKean / Edinboro / Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Monday–Saturday only
15 Penn State Behrend / West 38th Street / Millcreek Mall Saturday only
17 Mercyhurst College / Millcreek Mall / Downtown
19 Gannon University shuttle
20 Park & Ride / Downtown circulator Bayliner Trolley
21 Lawrence Park / K-mart East Plaza / Giant Eagle Plaza
22 Perry Square / Tacoma Road / Walmart East
23 Intermodal Center / Parade Street / East 38th Street
24 Perry Square / East 18th Street / Wal-Mart / McClelland Avenue / Bird Drive
25 Wesleyville / K-mart East / Saltsman Road
26 Intermodal Center / East 26th Street / Walmart / Penn State Behrend
27 Intermodal Center / Parade Street / VA Medical Center / Presque Isle Downs
28 Perry Square / West 29th Street / West 32nd Street / Caughey Road
29 Intermodal Center / West 18th Street / West 26th Street / Tri-State Business Institute
30 Perry Square / West Plaza / Yorktown Plaza / Legion Road
31 Perry Square / West 12th Street / Erie International Airport / West County Library
32 Perry Square / West 8th Street / Erie International Airport / West County Library
Edinboro
Express 		Edinboro University of Pennsylvania shuttle
A Bayliner trolley-replica bus

Bus Fleet

List of EMTA's fleet

† Twelve CNG buses, only alternative fuel in fleet

LIFT

"LIFT" is EMTA's paratransit program in that provides door-to-door transportation services to people who have physical disabilities, are senior citizens or anyone who lives "beyond the bus routes or are unable to utilize bus services."[9] Some passengers qualify for free rides while others may have to pay a minimum of $1.10 to ride.

Other programs

Until 2008, EMTA offered a "trackless" trolley that could be rented for special occasions; while the rental program has been discontinued,[10] this type of vehicle is still used for Route 20. Another program from EMTA is their "Bike on the Bus" program for bicyclists that allows them to take the bus to a destination while carrying their bike on a rack on the front of the bus for free. EMTA has a "Bayliner Trolley" route,[11] using trackless trolleys, that takes the place of the Park and ride service in Erie. Currently, there is no fare on the Bayliner route.

An EMTA Ford E-450 bus

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority (EMTA)" (PDF). National Transit Database. Federal Transit Administration. 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  2. ↑ "McGraw Electric Railway Manual" 1913, p. 250
  3. 1 2 3 Meier 1985, p. 4.
  4. 1 2 Meier 1985, p. 5.
  5. ↑ Springirth 2006, p. 55.
  6. ↑ Meier 1985, p. 8.
  7. ↑ Lewis, Erin (June 11, 2010). "EMTA changes its name to 'the e'". Erie Times-News. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Greener Trucks and Bus Fleets - Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)". Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
  9. ↑ - LIFT Program
  10. ↑ EMTA - Types Of Transit
  11. ↑ "Bayliner Trolley Service". Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority. Retrieved 2015-10-19.

References

External links

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