LANTA #0354 works the E line in downtown Easton. |
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| Founded | 1972 |
| Headquarters | 1060 Lehigh Steet Allentown, PA 18103 |
| Locale | Allentown, Pennsylvania |
| Service area | Lehigh Valley |
| Service type | Local Transit bus Service |
| Routes | 24 local 7 evening and Sunday 4 Special services (35 total) |
| Destinations | Allentown Bethlehem Easton |
| Hubs | Allentown Transportation Center (ATC) |
| Fleet | 82 Buses |
| Daily ridership | 15,000 (weekday) |
| Operator | LANTA |
| Chief executive | Armando Greco |
| Web site | www.lantabus.com |
The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (known as LANTA), is a transit agency that provides public, fixed-route bus service throughout Lehigh County and Northampton County, in Pennsylvania, United States. The primary area that LANTA serves is the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, serving the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton.
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The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) has ten voting and two non-voting members appointed by the County Executives.
The agency was created in March 1972 in response to the transportation crisis that was occurring in Lehigh, and Northampton. The solution was to create a bi-county, municipal Authority that would operate all public transit services in the two counties. Lehigh Valley Transit Company, a private for-profit entity, formally operated transit services in the Valley.
The Authority's main service is in the urbanized area of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton and surrounding boroughs and townships. About 380,000 people live within 3/4 mile of a fixed-route bus line.
About 15,000 trips are taken daily on the Metro city transit system.
In 1973, the Authority replaced the entire 65-vehicle fleet with modern air-conditioned city transit coaches. In 1974, LANTA added 30% more service hours and established a peak/off-peak fare structure offering discounts in the off-peak hours and Saturdays to encourage ridership. Seniors, through a state lottery funded program, were offered free fare access during off-peak hours and weekends in 1975.
In the mid-1980s, as the community transformed from a manufacturing based economy to a service and retail based economy, was completely revamped and a new "Metro" system was introduced in 1985. A color-coded route information system was introduced at the same time to make riding transit more 'user-friendly.' The following year, 'deep-discount' fares were introduced as LANTA raised the case fares but kept ticket and pass prices the same and providing frequent riders with a 25% discount.
In 1988 Metro Plus services for the elderly and people with disabilities were introduced. Fully accessible vans are available through contracts with private operators to take people to destinations door-to-door for a higher, zoned fare.
About 2,000 trips are taken each weekday on the Metro Plus paratransit system.
A transportation center was established in Bethlehem and centers in Allentown and Easton are on the drawing board.
As the years went on, the agency grew adding more and more bus routes around the Lehigh Valley. Ridership has grown 75% since LANTA's inception. On October 21, 2001 that LANTA started offering Sunday bus service to further increase access to public transit. The Authority is funded through revenues from the farebox; a grant from the Pennsylvania Lottery program with revenue generated by rides taken on the system by seniors 65 and older, grants from Lehigh and Northampton counties, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration. Combined these grants pay approximately 60% of the cost of operation; the remaining funds come through the lottery program and passenger fares.
Eighty buses are in the Metro city transit fleet; 118 vans are used to provide the Metro Plus door-to-door van services. The Authority owns all vehicles. LANTA has two operating facilities: the main office, garage and maintenance building is at 1060 Lehigh Street Allentown Lehigh County and there is a satellite facility located at 3610 Nicholas Street in Easton, Northampton County.
LANTA has three operating divisions:
LANTA is also involved with these services:
LANTA currently operates 35 fixed bus routes in its Metro service. Seventeen lettered routes serve the inner city areas of the Lehigh Valley, while five numbered routes serve the surrounding areas. Two shuttles named "The Rover" and "The Whirlybird", that operate from the Lehigh Valley Mall and Palmer Park Malls to various neighboring shopping strips and centers, serve as the final daily fixed routes. In the evening, LANTA operates the Starlight service made of seven fixed routes which service center city Allentown, the Lehigh Valley Mall and Palmer Park Mall, Whitehall, and Emmaus. There is also the Night Owl service that runs late-night from center city Allentown to the Lehigh Valley Hospital. Metro also operates the Silverline Express which is an express bus that serves the Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton areas via Route 22, as well as The Bethelem Loop, which serves as a shuttle for that city's downtown core.
| Route | Terminals | Major streets | |
|---|---|---|---|
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A
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Village West Shopping Center | Broad & Guetter Streets (Bethlehem) | Cedar Crest Blvd., Tilghman St., Hanover Ave. |
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B
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East Hills/Fountain Hill | Freemansburg Ave. | Stefko Blvd., Freemansburg Ave. |
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C
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Broad & Guetter (Bethlehem) | Center Square (Easton) | Freemansburg Ave. |
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D
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Northampton | Emmaus | Lehigh St., MacArthur Rd. |
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E
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Easton | Allentown | Hanover Ave., William Penn Highway |
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F
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Westgate Mall | Creekside Shopping Center (Hellertown) | Schoenersville Rd, W. Broad St. |
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G
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Union Blvd. | Susquehanna St. | Broadway, E. 4th St. |
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H
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Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom | Fullerton Ave. | Hamilton Blvd., Fullerton Ave. |
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J
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Boroline | Crest Plaza | E. Emmaus Ave., N. 19th St., Walbert Ave. |
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K
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Lehigh Valley Hospital | Presidential Village | S. 24th St., Hamilton St., MacArthur Rd. |
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L
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Lehigh Valley Mall | Parkway Shopping Center | MacArthur Rd., Allen St., 15th St. |
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N
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Palmer Park Mall | Berwick St./Line St. | Northampton St., S. 3rd St. |
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P
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Stones Crossing | Berwick St./Line St. | Freemansburg Ave. |
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R
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West Easton | Harlen House | Northampton St., Freemansburg Ave. |
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S
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Slate Belt | Broad & Guetter Streets (Bethlehem) | Route 512, Route 115, Route 248 |
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V
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Riverside Road | Broad & Guetter Streets (Bethlehem) | Riverside Rd., New St. |
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W
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Allentown | Slatington | Route 309, Route 873, Main St. |
| Route | Terminals | Major streets | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1
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East Catasauqua | Egypt | MacArthur Rd., Race St. |
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2
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Fogelsville | Allentown | Route 100, Tilghman St. |
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3
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Trexlertown | Allentown | Route 100, Hamilton St. |
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4
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Stabler Center | Lehigh Valley College | S. 8th St., Mack Blvd., Interstate 78 |
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5
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Forks Industrial Park | Palmer Industrial Park | Main St., Sullivan Trail, Cattel St. |
| Route | Route Name | Service Area | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
|
6
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The Rover | West Easton, Palmer Park Mall | US$0.50 |
|
7
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The Whirlybird | Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall Mall | US$0.50 |
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8
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The Bethlehem Loop | Downtown Bethlehem, Historic District, Sands Casino | US$2.50 |
| Route | Terminals | Major streets | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Silverline Express
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Lehigh Valley Mall | Easton | MacArthur Rd., Route 22, N. 3rd St. |
| Fare category | Description | Cash |
|---|---|---|
| One Ride Fare | One Ride Fare | US$2.00 |
| Day Pass | Unlimited rides all day | US$3.00 |
| Whirlybird Express | One Ride Fare | US$0.50 |
| The Rover | One Ride Fare | US$0.50 |
| Transfers | Valid 2 hours after purchase | US$0.25 |
| Senior Citizens (65+) | Free all day with ID | |
| People with disabilities | US$1.00 all day pass with ID | |
| Children (5 and under) | Free with paying adult |
| Fare category | Description | Cash |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Ride Ticket | FareSaver Ticket | US$14.00 |
| 31 Day Pass | Good for 31 days after purchase or activation | US$50.00 |
| Full Fare | General fare to access Metro Plus paratransit services - each way | US$22.50 |
| Subsidized Fare | Seniors (65+) and others subsidized by agencies - each way | US$3.40 |
| Ticket Books | 6 Tickets, good for 6 one-way trips or 3 round trips | US$18.20 |
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