After three months of newspaper advertisements, radio commercials and newsletters, the Centre Area Transportation Authority is hoping State College's proposed Neighborhood Action Plan will increase interest in the sluggish Park-and-Ride program, a CATA official said.

Stefan Fabian-Marks, CATA planning and marketing specialist, said the plan, presented to the council earlier this month, would force commuters to consider options, including Park-and-Ride, as solutions to downtown parking shortages.

The program provides subscribers with a loop bus pass and parking in the 140-space lot located on the southeast corner of University Drive and Curtin Road, for $20 a month.

"A lot of what will happen to Park-and-Ride depends on the borough and planners," Fabian-Marks said.

"It is still possible to park for free relatively close to downtown," he said in reference to neighborhood streets surrounding the downtown district.

Regulation of on-street parking to two hours is a recommendation of the action plan, said Borough Planning Director Carl Hess.

"Most cars are parked on the street from 9 to 5 everyday. These are people who work downtown," Hess said. "If two-hour parking is installed this would force people to move their cars every two hours," opening up many spaces for visitors.

"We believe people will gravitate toward (Park-and-Ride) as long as parking is no longer free," he added.

Since Park-and-Ride made its debut in late October, Fabian-Marks said he has "exhaustedly" approached businesses in the downtown area to encourage employees to use the program, but response remains far below expectations. Currently, the program has 33 subscribers.

"We did a lot of pre-advertising and once the program started, we walked around to 313 businesses informing owners and employees about Park-and-Ride," he said.

CATA also mails a loop newsletter to businesses twice a month, and asks that it be posted for employees to read.

"With the newsletter, however, you have to depend on the people's good will to post it," Fabian-Marks said.

Jim Eberly, a full-time employee at Moyer Jewelers, 100 E. College Ave., read about Park-and-Ride in the CATA newsletters and said it is less convenient than the Pugh Street garage, where he parked before using the program.

"Basically I use it because it saves money," Eberly said. However,"it is less convenient because you have to wait for a bus to get to work and wait for a bus to get to your car."

For that reason, Sue Campbell, also a full-time employee of Moyer Jewelers, drives to work everyday and parks in the Fraser Street garage.

"It just didn't seem convenient to drive clear across town to come right back." Campbell added, "Plus, I have kids and if I need my car right away the garage is closer and quicker."

Marie Librizzi, chairwoman of the Downtown Business Association and owner of the Old Main Frame Shop & Gallery, 136 E. College Ave., told her employees about Park-and-Ride, but only one full-time employee subscribed.

"Probably there are a ton of people who never had to ride the bus, so they don't know the convenience," Librizzi said in regard to Park-and-Ride's low subscriptions. "I guess State College, being a small town, the people are use to parking in front of the stores, but that is impossible today."

The DBA is a partner in the program with the University and the borough.

Barbara Ramano, secretary of the University's Intellectual Property Office in the George Building, 306 W. College Ave., said she was not informed about Park-and-Ride through her employer or CATA.

"I just heard about it, but I don't use it," Ramano said.

"I carpool and park at Red H (a university parking lot on Burrowes Street). As far as I know, no one (in the office) uses the lot and bus," which has a stop around the corner from the building.

Fabian-Marks says many commuters are locked into parking contracts with, for example, the municipal garages, and have been unable to switch to Park-and-Ride.

If on-street parking rules are changed to two-hour limits, the five-month old program could benefit, he said.

"There is a good chance of being ticketed at a two-hour spot, and when that starts happening, people will look outside of the downtown area to park," Fabian-Marks said.

Neil Foster, co-owner of McLanahan's, 116 W. College Ave., and member of the DBA said he met with each full-time worker individually to discuss Park-and-Ride, and only had one employee subscribe.

"It has worked out real well with that employee," Foster said. "I think my employees did not subscribe because many of them have worked downtown for a while and already have parking arrangements."