Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority

EMTA Transit

Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority

Current livery

Founded| September 14, 1966
Headquarters| 127 East 14th Street
Erie, Pennsylvania
United States
Service area| Erie County
Service type| Bus
Routes| 25
Hubs| 1
Fleet| 80 buses
Annual ridership| 2,743,473 [1] (2018)
5.87% from 2017
Fuel type| Diesel, CNG
Chief executive| Jeremy Peterson
Website| www.ride-the-e.com

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

## History

[edit]

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'

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### Routes

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An EMTA New Flyer D35LF Route  | Weekday  | Sat | Sun | Inbound terminus  | Destinations served  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|

1 Glenwood  | No  | Yes  | No  | 7th-French Street | Glenwood - Millcreek Mall | Route only operates on Saturday. Weekday Service via alternating trips on Route 3.
3 Peach Street

3 Glenwood

| Yes  | Yes  | No  | Intermodal Center  | Peach Street, Millcreek Mall, Summit, Target, Cinemark Theatre, Summit Towne Centre, Oliver Road, Baldwin Industrial Park, Erie County Vo-Tech, Peach Street Walmart  | Alternating trips via Cherry St, Glenwood, Cherry Ext, South Hill Road, and Kuntz Road (Monday through Friday). These trips DO NOT service Peach Street between West 26th Street and Kuntz Road.
4 Liberty Street  | Yes  | No  | No  | Intermodal Center  | Millcreek Mall |
11 Harborcreek  | No
(Wed, Fri only) | No  | No  | 9th and Peach Streets  | Harborcreek Township |
12 Albion  | No
(Mon, Thu only) | No  | No  | 7th and French Streets  | Millcreek Mall, Fairview, Girard, Lake City, Albion | Morning inbound service and Afternoon outbound service operates via Peach Street, Millcreek Mall and I-79 between West 26th Street and Championship Ford (West 26th St at Crescent).
14 Edinboro  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | 7th and French Streets  | Millcreek Mall, McKean, Edinboro, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania |
15 East 38th Street  | No  | Yes  | No  | Penn State Erie | Mercyhurst University, Millcreek Mall
16 North East  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | 7th and French Street  | Mercyhurst University, Harborcreek Township, Mercyhurst North East, North East |
17 Briggs Avenue  | No
(Tue, Wed only) | Yes  | No  | Millcreek Mall | Mercyhurst University, Penn State Erie |
18 Penn State Behrend Campus Loop  | Yes  | No  | No  | —  | Penn State Erie |
19 Gannon Campus Loop  | Yes  | No  | No  | —  | Gannon University |
20A Downtown Loop  | Yes  | No  | No  | Intermodal Center  | State Street (Downtown Erie)
20B Lincoln Ave. - Park-N-Ride  | Yes  | No  | No  | UPMC Hamot | Lincoln Park-N-Ride
20C Courthouse Loop  | Yes  | No  | No  | Intermodal Center  | Erie County Courthouse
20L Cultural Loop  | No  | Yes  | No  | Intermodal Center  | Erie Art Museum, Erie Insurance Arena, Erie Playhouse, Warner Theater |
21 Lawrence Park  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | 9th and Peach Streets  | Perry Square, E. 6TH St, East Lake Road, Franklin Ave, Nagle Rd, Giant Eagle Plaza Lawrence Park | Most inbound 21 Lawrence Park trips upon arrival in Downtown Erie, convert into 28 Erie Heights trips outbound.
22 Tacoma  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | 7th and French Streets  | Tacoma Avenue  |
23 Belle Valley  | Yes  | No  | No  | Intermodal Center  | Belle Valley, Greene Township |
24 McClelland  | Yes  | No  | No  | 7th and French Street  | McClelland - 41st Rice Ave  |
25 Wesleyville  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | 7th and French Streets  | Perry Square, E. 21st St, Buffalo Rd, Harbor Homes, Wesleyville, Giant Eagle PlazaWesleyville, Saltsman Road, Penn State Erie | Limited Service to Penn State.

Most inbound 25 Wesleyville trips upon arrival in Downtown Erie, convert into 30 West Millcreek trips outbound.

26 E 26th ST  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Intermodal Center  | E 26th ST, Penn State Erie
27 State  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Intermodal Center  | Presque Isle Downs | Evening Service bypasses VA Hospital.
28 Erie Heights  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | 7th and French Street  | Most inbound 28 Erie Heights trips upon arrival in Downtown Erie, convert into 21 Lawrence Park trips outbound.
29 Asbury  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Intermodal Center  | West 26th Street, Asbury Road  | Saturday Service to Walmart Only.
30 West Millcreek  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | 7th and French Streets  | Millcreek Township, Legion Road  | Most inbound 30 West Millcreek trips upon arrival in Downtown Erie, convert into 25 Wesleyville trips outbound.
31 Frontier  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | 7th and French Streets  | Erie Int'l Airport - Fortis Inst., West 12th Street  | Limited Service to Manchester Road and IMBC due to discontinuation of 32 Westlake.
105 Corry Loop  | Yes  | No  | No  | —  | Corry | Limited service provided to Downtown Erie, Peach Street, Millcreek Mall, Waterford, and Union City.
229 Fairview  | Yes  | No  | No  |  | Fairview |
Edinboro Express  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | —  | Edinboro University of Pennsylvania |
A Bayliner trolley-replica bus

## Bus fleet

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### List of EMTA's fleet

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* OBI
* II (02.502)
* VII (07.501) "3rd Generation"
* NFI
* D35LF
* D40LF
* C35LF CNG[8]†
* Gillig
* LF-35 Trolley Replica
* LF-35
* LF-40
* LF-29", 35” & 40" CNG[8]†
* Optima
* AH-28 American Heritage Streetcar (trolley-replica buses)

† Twentynine Gillig CNG buses, only alternative fuel in fleet, Eight more coming in Summer 2021.

## LIFT

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"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 $1.65 to ride.

## Other programs

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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

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* Transportation in Erie, Pennsylvania

## Notes

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1. ^ "Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority (EMTA)" (PDF). National Transit Database. Federal Transit Administration. 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
2. ^ "McGraw Electric Railway Manual" 1913, p. 250
3. ^ a b c Meier 1985, p. 4.
4. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "Greener Trucks and Bus Fleets - Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)". Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Archived from the original on 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
9. ^ "- LIFT Program". Archived from the original on 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2015-10-20.
10. ^ "EMTA - Types Of Transit". Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
11. ^ "Bayliner Trolley Service". Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority. Archived from the original on 2015-11-06. Retrieved 2015-10-19.

## References

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* Meier, Albert E (January 1985). "Erie". Motor Coach Age. West Trenton, NJ: Motor Bus Society.
* McGraw Electric Railway Manual. New York: McGraw Publishing. 1913. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
* Springirth, Kenneth C (2006). Greater Erie Trolleys. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-3938-4. Retrieved March 27, 2007.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority.

* Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority

*[Weekday ]: Weekday
*[Sat]: Saturday
*[Sun]: Sunday