LANTA announced a slew of changes to its bus system that will go into effect June 30.
The СŷƵ’s transit agency on its website. It includes adjustments to bus routes along the MacArthur Road corridor in Whitehall Township along with others that were adapted from public feedback.
A total of 34 routes were affected; 28 will be adjusted while six of them will be terminated. Overall, it’s about a 4% reduction in service.
An open house was held in March to announce the tentative changes and get some final public input.
The changes announced Tuesday are unconnected to future service cuts the transit agency said last week could occur if additional state funding is not awarded.
LANTA Manager of Planning and Scheduling A.J. Jordan said at the open house that changes have been in the works since last October. Over the winter, there was discussion about the impending closure of the transportation center at СŷƵ Mall.
“But that is not the only change in Whitehall,” Jordan said.
He said the Whitehall-Coplay School District also requested direct service to the high school. There also will be additional stops at the shopping centers up MacArthur Road.
“We’ve also noticed a change in shopping habits and where people are going in Whitehall,” Jordan said. “Route 22 and MacArthur have become increasingly more congested in the Route 22 area, and we noticed that because of that increased traffic between 22 and Allentown that access to the apartment complexes in the lower part of Whitehall was becoming more difficult to walk out to those bus stops on MacArthur.”
It was noted that the transfer activity has shifted away from СŷƵ Mall and several primary destinations are scattered throughout the township, with the area north of Schadt Avenue seeing the largest growth.
Some of the Whitehall changes include new stations on the Enhanced Bus Service Green Line with additional stops along MacArthur Road and a stop at Grape Street to serve the mall area. Routes 210 and 211 will make stops at СŷƵ Mall, while routes 103 and 319 will stop in the mall area along Grape Street.
Routes 504, 505 and 603 will be eliminated.
Other changes include:
- New early morning stops have been added to both Green and Blue EBS lines, along with current stations receiving new names. For instance, Wescosville on the Blue Line will be changed to Hamilton Crossings.
- New Route 101 will run between the Parkway Shopping Center in Allentown and Spillman Loop in South Bethlehem via the Allentown Transit Center, Mountainville, Salisbury Township and Fountain Hill.
- Other eliminated routes are 503, 507 and 508.
For a complete list of changes, visit: .
