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	136 buses
Annual ridership	3,213,374 (2010) 1.9% from 2009
Fuel type	Diesel, CNG
Chief executive	Dennis Solensky
Web site	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, 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. The Conneaut and Erie Railway Traction Company was formed in 1903 and ran trolleys to east of the city. 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. 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. 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. 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. The last of its trolleys ran between Erie and New York on December 1, 1932. 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.

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

The 'e'

Routes

• Route M1 — Downtown – Millcreek Mall (via Cherry Street)
• Route M3 — Intermodal Center – Millcreek Mall – Summit (via Peach Street)
• Route M4 — Intermodal Center – Millcreek Mall (via Liberty Street)
• Route 11 — Downtown – Mercyhurst College – Harborcreek – Mercyhurst North East
• Route 12 — Downtown – Millcreek Mall – Fairview – Girard – Lake City – Albion
• Route 13 — Millcreek Mall – Waterford – Union City – Corry

An EMTA New Flyer D35LF

• Route 14 — Downtown – Millcreek Mall – McKean – Edinboro – Edinboro University
• Route 15 — Penn State Behrend – Millcreek Mall (Saturday only)
• Route 17 — Mercyhurst College – Millcreek Mall – Downtown
• Route 19 / Gannon Knight Rider — Gannon University shuttle
• Route 20 / Bayliner Trolley — Park & Ride / Downtown shuttle
• Route 21 — Lawrence Park – K-mart East Plaza – Giant Eagle Plaza
• Route 22 — Downtown – Tacoma Road – Walmart East
• Route 23 — Intermodal Center – Parade Street – East 38th Street
• Route 24 — Downtown – East 18th Street – Wal-Mart – McClelland Avenue – Bird Drive
• Route 25 — Wesleyville – K-mart East – Saltsman Road
• Route 26 — Intermodal Center – East 26th Street – Walmart – Penn State Behrend
• Route 27 — Intermodal Center – Parade Street – VA Medical Center – Presque Isle Downs
• Route 28 — Downtown – West 29th Street – West 32nd Street – Caughey Road
• Route 29 — Intermodal Center – West 18th Street – West 26th Street – Tri-State Business Institute
• Route 30 — Downtown – West Plaza – Yorktown Plaza – Legion Road
• Route 31 — Downtown – West 12th Street – Erie International Airport – West County Library
• Route 32 — Downtown – West 8th Street – Erie International Airport – West County Library
• Edinboro Express — Edinboro University of Pennsylvania shuttle

A Bayliner trolley

Fleet

EMTA operates an assortment of different bus brands. EMTA owns several Orion II's, New Flyer D35LF's and Gillig Low Floor buses. The Bayliner Trolleys are Gillig trolley replicas. EMTA's other trackless trolley is an Optima Heritage Streetcar. Twelve EMTA buses run on compressed natural gas.

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." Some passengers qualify for free rides while others may have to pay a minimum of $1.10 to ride.

Other programs

EMTA offers a "trackless" trolley that can be rented for special occasions (this type of vehicle is also 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 without any additional cost.

EMTA provides a water taxi service to Presque Isle for a $4 one-way fare or a $7 round-trip fare from Dobbins Landing. EMTA also has a "Bayliner Trolley" route, 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

• Transportation in Erie, Pennsylvania

References

• Meier, Albert E (January 1985). "Erie". Motor Coach Age (West Trenton, NJ: Motor Bus Society). 
• McGraw Electric Railway Manual. New York: McGraw Publishing. 1913. http://books.google.com/?id=yHspAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved August 6, 2009. 
• Springirth, Kenneth C (2006). Greater Erie Trolleys. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738539384. http://books.google.com/?id=fwPRz11EosQC. Retrieved March 27, 2007. 

External links

• Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority