TACT to Expand Service in Ford City Area

by Nathan Lasher

Town and Country Transit (TACT) officials have been busy promoting additional fixed route services that will be available in Ford City Borough and Manor Township.

TACT General Manager Scott Kloes addressed the Ford City Borough Council on Monday night. Meanwhile, Operations Manager Gerry Miller discussed the expansion with the “Persons with Disabilities” (PWD) Advisory Board yesterday.

“In September, we are going to be adding a new route to our Fixed Route program,” said Miller. “It’s going to run in Ford City up on 6th Avenue. They’ve never had a bus up there, and we’ve been told that there are several people that would take the bus if they could get to the bus. Right now, it only runs on 4^th Avenue, so if they live on 6^th or 7^th, some people may not be able to walk three or four blocks to get to the bus stop. So, starting the day after Labor Day, we’re going to be expanding service. We’ll be running up 6^th and down 3^rd Avenue for a little section and down by the Magistrate’s Office in Ford City.”

Miller also mentioned expanding service to include a few more locations along Route 422. “We’re actually going to be servicing up on top of the hill at Trader Horn,” he said. “We’ll go up past the Dairy Queen and Dollar General. That will start on September 7th.”

Kloes explained to Ford City Council that TACT is planning on building shelters for riders who have to wait for the bus.

“We would like to get the shelters in before winter arrives,” Kloes said. “The biggest challenge is finding places where they are permitted. Not all boroughs have enough right-of-ways to place the shelter on that property. We may need to talk to some business owners who may want to have a bus stop in front of their building. The shelters cost about $3,000 each and are erected on a four-foot by eight-foot concrete pad. We were hoping if TACT poured the slab, perhaps the municipality could mount the shelter to the slab. I don’t have enough mechanics to pour slabs and erect shelters at the same time.”

Kloes also said TACT has bus stop signs for installation. “We are looking into getting them color coded completely for whichever route they are. We would like municipalities to give us approval for locations for bus stop signs. It will give people an idea that they can wait here for a bus, especially with the new routes.”

Also, since TACT’s PWD program has been so successful over the past year, growing from only three people riding last August to 291 this past July, TACT is planning on adding a new advisory board for its Shared Ride program.

“PennDOT advised us, when we were doing our budget numbers as well as ridership projections, not to expect a good response because everyone else in other counties have not experienced a good response,” said TACT Comptroller Patti Baker. “We have not experienced that at all. In fact, ours has been one of the best responses from the start-up perspective of any of the counties in the state. I’ve spoken with the Bureau Chief that handles the Shared Ride programs, and she said, ‘I don’t know what you guys are doing out there, but we’re really pleased with the response that you guys have with the PWD program.’ I think a lot of that has to do with the Advisory Board.”

Baker also cleared up a few misconceptions about the Shared Ride Program. “Everyone thinks that it is only for those who are 65 and over. If you are 65 and over, PennDOT subsidizes your ride to the tune of 85% through the State Lottery. So, if you are 65 and over you can ride subsidized. Also, if you are 65 and over and qualify, then the Area Agency on Aging may sponsor certain trips. So then, either 5% or 10% of that remaining 15% may be subsidized through the Area Agency. Anyone under 65 can call for a reservation and ride. They would just pay the full fair. That’s something that a lot of people don’t understand. That’s actually called a general public fair. Anyone can ride it. It is an advanced door-to-door reservation. The reservations have to be made by 11AM the business day prior to the appointment. That allows for scheduling purposes. We’re prohibited by the state to provide same-day reservations. That kind of intrudes on taxi services and the like.”

Members of the PWD Advisory Board expressed their desire to bring back recommendations for Shared Ride Board Members in time for their next meeting.