CATA discusses improvements

Getting to the hospital or the airport could become easier if the Centre Area Transportation Authority's plan to increase and improve service works.

- Hugh Mose, general manager of CATA

Hugh Mose, general manager of CATA, said the changes in transportation services were possible because of CATA's good financial standing.

"It's been at least 10 years since CATA has been in this (financial) position, and we want to meet your needs," Mose said to the people in attendance.

Sections of the plan included short-term and long-term plans for CATA to put to use in the coming years. Restoring connections to the airport and Centre County Hospital were two suggestions mentioned by Sheldon Crum, senior associate of CGA.

Even though airport traffic is not very high at this time, Crum said a day will come when it is, and public transportation will have to increase to deal with it. Crum, a University graduate, said he has noticed the public CATA serves is growing phenomenally.

"I was here in the 1970s and have been back a time or two and I am just amazed at the growth of the community," Crum said.

A report compiled by CGA found the student population to be the largest users of the system. Although many of the decisions made could affect students, few were there to voice their opinions.

Jimmy Richards (junior-political science) and Liz Kinland (sophomore-political science) were two students who were in attendance at the meeting. Richards said he was surprised more students did not attend, because he has heard people in his classes complain about CATA.

"The biggest issue I've heard was time schedules," he said. "I think the changes about filling in gaps in the schedule will help."

Kinland said she also was surprised students did not attend a meeting that could mean so many changes for them.

Another suggestion of CGA's report was to experiment with higher occupancy vehicles. Four of CATA's routes, which include the Town Loop and the H Route serving Vairo Boulevard, transport thousands of people a day, while the other routes transport a few hundred people, Crum said.

Using higher occupancy vehicles would free up smaller buses that can be used in smaller neighborhoods and would be more efficient economically and environmentally, Crum added.

The report also said CATA needed to focus attention on some areas of the county with less rider volume.

Bike racks at bus stops and on buses also could be in the future for CATA riders. The suggestion came from someone at the meeting, and Mose said bike racks have been considered. CATA has a grant for the racks on the buses, he said, but legal questions remain an obstacle.

One of the goals of the changes was to reduce the number of drivers in State College.

"We can probably change that in the future," Crum said.