TRANSPORTATION CENTER OPENING

TUESDAY, JULY 6, 2010

Luzerne County Transportation Authority’s Executive Director Stanley Strelish announced that the “soft” opening of the new Transit Center was held on Tuesday, July 6^th. The grand opening will be held later in July. Several years in the making, the new James Conahan Intermodal Transportation Center is set to provide a more vital regional venue that will increase the visibility and accessibility of public transportation in Luzerne County.

“We are pleased to have worked with Wilkes-Barre City during the building of the Intermodal Center”, stated Mr. Strelish. “We are especially grateful to Mayor Leighton, Ms. Marie McCormick and Mr. Butch Frati for their diligent effort during the construction period. It was also a pleasure working with Mr. Ted Patton and the staff at Martz Trailways”.

The Transit Center is located on North Washington Street near Public Square. There will be a walkway from South Main Street and one from Public Square, making for easy access to the Transportation Center.

“Projects like the Transit Center are key to ensuring the mobility of the region, offering commuters a place to park their vehicles and use public transportation to reach their destination”, said Strelish. “With the completion of the Transit Center in Hazleton, and the future build of an Intermodal Facility in Scranton, we can tie the three centers with both public and private transit services”.

The Transit Center is one part of the “renewal” program of the LCTA. Three (3) Diesel-Electric Hybrid buses have been placed into service at the beginning of this year. Five (5) more will be added to their fleet in early November, and have recently applied for a Federal Grant to purchase Seven (7) more Diesel-Electric Hybrids. These buses represent a fuel savings of approximately 30%. Less fuel means less expense and a better environment. Also, a system-wide route analysis and evaluation is near completion with service adjustments expected.

“The [renewal] demonstrates our commitment to making public transportation more attractive, convenient, safe, environmentally friendly and affordable for daily commuters”, said Mr. Strelish. “The Transit Center is integral to Wilkes-Barre’s and LCTA’s vision towards the future”.

The LCTA will install by early autumn a Dynamic Bus Departure System in the Center. This system will: 1. Provide information at specified locations throughout the Intermodal Center about the route and destination of the next buses departing; 2. Provide information about operational delays of buses at selected signs; 3. Display LCTA and Martz Trailways system information and emergency messages at selected signs. A Campbell beacon system will guide the user to a button to press to convert the sign text to spoken audio to announce the route and departure time information for full ADA compliance.   

“Our drivers have been trained in the center, our Operational staff is ready and we look forward to meeting our riders beginning at 5:10AM, Tuesday for the changeover from Public Square to the new Transportation Hub”, said Strelish. “We know that there may be challenges during the transition period, but with passengers and LCTA employees working together, all issues will be resolved as quickly as possible”.