I take the Presque Isle Express and visit Beach 8

I took EMTA's Presque Isle Express last Saturday. I visited Beach 8, which I can't ever remember ever spending any time at. I have never been into hanging out at the beach, and this is a really "beachy" area. But it was a gorgeous day and the lake was beautiful. I wanted to check out a few things, especially related to accessibility, here you go.

 Click on photos to enlarge 

Beach wheelchairs available at Beach 8 and Public Safety Building (Ranger Station), Free, first come first serve, ID required. Info: Ranger station 814-833-1495 or Park office at TREC 814-833-7424  https://www.discoverpi.com/projects/beach-wheelchairs  

Concrete ramp and deck at east end of Beach 8, near lifeguard chair. 

Soft ramp at east end of Beach 8. I don't know the story about the tent at the end, if the park put it there or if some less than considerate person set up camp there.

New solar panels in parking area provide electricity to the park and shade keeps vehicles cooler

Food Trucks They've had trouble with the concession stands since COVID, now they are allowing Food Trucks. Call Ranger Station for which trucks are where. 

Sign heading east toward Beach 7: cars etc. stay left, pedestrians & bikes stay right. 

Accessible beach area at Beach 7 (just east of Beach 8). Paved pathway (above) and accessible large shady deck area (below) 

Other areas on Park:

 Accessibility at Waterworks area at Presque Isle July 31, 2022 A couple years ago wrote about accessibility at the Waterworks/Cookhouse/Beach 7 area a couple years ago, if you want that sort of into:

Beach 11: Quick look at Accessibility  posted on Facebook June 2023. I checked this out because EMTA Presque Isle Express was running a bus shuttle to the Wednesday concerts at this beach. 

More Presque Isle info:

Presque Isle  info from DCNR

Accessible Erie: Presque Isle State Parke from Accessible Erie A project of Voices for Independence

New Bike lanes start and end at 10th & French stop

 

The lanes go from 10th & French westbound over West 10th. There is a separate eastbound lane that goes back over West 10th and ends at 10th & French. 

Summer EMTA schedule changes

I briefly looked over the routes that are getting changes June 8, and wanted to let you know what to watch for. I basically just looked at the outbound times from downtown ... this was not a thorough lookover but just what stood out. I only checked times, not routes. Please don't use this as a substitute for checking your important routes for yourself. And don't hesitate to let me know if I got something wrong. ~deb

• Route 20- DOWNTOWN LOOP - looks like they're adding a trip in the afternoon with some tweaking of some of the other times.
• Route 21- LAWRENCE PARK - evening has same amount of trips but some important time changes
• Route 25- WESLEYVILLE almost all times changed on weekday schedule
• Route 27- STATE STREET weekdays and Saturday are combined into same schedule
• Route 28- ERIE HEIGHTS time changes in the evening on weekday schedule
• Route 30- WEST MILLCREEK Important changes on evening trips weekdays, some tweaks elsewhere
• Route 33- PRESQUE ISLE EXPRESS Wednesday and Saturday only. Wednesday bus runs 2 hours later than Saturday bus.
• UNIVERSITY BUSES not running in the summer

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EMTA routes and schedules page https://ride-the-e.com/routes-2/ 

Transit options in and around Erie's tri-state region

Info for transit users in Erie's tri-state region: Ashtabula, Chautauqua, Crawford, Erie, and Warren counties.

Lyft and Uber may not be an option in some locales. Taxi service will vary.

ASHTABULA COUNTY, OHIO

Ashtabula County Transportation System (ACTS)

425 West 24th St., Ashtabula, OH 44004

440-992-4411 or 800-445-4140

You can pick up paper copy of fixed route schedule and map info in Ashtabula at ACTS 425 West 24th St.; Ashtabula Co. Job & Family Services 2924 Donahoe; or Ashtabula's senior center (ACCOA) 4148 Main Ave.

PDF of schedule with maps  

Administered by Ashtabula County Job & Family Services

Also:

City Taxi Cab & Transfer Co. (440) 992-2156 or (440) 992-2157

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, NY

CHQ Transit (formerly CARTS) 

234 Hopkins Ave, Jamestown, NY  (716) 665-6466

chqgov.com/carts/CARTS

Facebook "Like" or follow to get updates.

Coach USA Bus, Buffalo/Fredonia/Jamestown  

(info current as of April 2024) For the most up-to-date information, please call Coach USA Erie directly at 814-459-6666. Coach USA offices close  4 p.m. M-F 

Seneca Transit

90 Ohi’yo Way Salamanca, NY 14779
(585) 968-0834 TDD : 712
senecatransit.com.

Facebook "Like" or follow to get updates

2024 Schedule   Interactive Map

"public bus service provided to all area residents. The STS provides transportation between both the Cattaraugus and Allegany territories, with many stops in between."

CRAWFORD, VENANGO & CLARION COUNTIES, PA

Crawford Area Transportation Authority (CATA)

214 Pine Street, Meadville, PA  (814) 336-5600

catabus.org 

Facebook  "Like" or follow to get updates.

MyStop mobile app  Google Transit 

New Clarion County service 

Serves Crawford and Venango counties. (Also now serving Clarion County as of July 1, 2024) Fixed Route, Shared Ride and Bikeshare

Greyhound serves Meadville in some of its service between Erie and Pittsburgh. 

Tina's Taxi  724-992-3360 "can pick up anywhere within Crawford, Mercer, Lawrence, Venango, or Butler Counties."

ERIE PA 

Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority (EMTA, The "e")

127 E. 14th Street Erie, PA  (814) 452-2801

ride-the-e.com

Facebook "Like" or follow for updates

Mobile Apps. Trackers, and Rider Alerts   Google Transit

Fixed Route, Paratransit.

Greyhound Erie service 

208 E Bayfront Pkwy, Erie, PA (800) 231-2222

between Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and points beyond. Ticket window permanently closed, pick-up & drop-off at Intermodal Center, tickets sold online.  Lobby and restrooms presently open M-F 8:30am-4:30pm. This Greyhound bus stop connects with EMTA's local service.

Amtrak Lake Shore Limited

125 W 14th St, Erie, PA  (Union Station) 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) 

Service between Chicago and New York/Boston once a day either way. Erie station has a waiting room and service window.  

Lyft and Uber available

Erie International Airport   4411 W. 12th Erie PA  (814) 833-4258

WARREN COUNTY, PA

Warren County Transit Authority (TAWC)

42 Clark St, Warren, PA (814) 723-1874 

tawcbus.com

Facebook "Like" or follow to get updates.
Google Transit 

Warren Taxi Co. (814) 723-2020

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ELSEWHERE

PA public transit options for all PA counties 

All NY counties 

 All Ohio counties

All USA

EMTA County buses used to have fare zones

This photo is from the 2004 EMTA County route schedule. Note that some county routes had fare zones during this time. 

The only county route I can recall using when they had fare zones  then was North East, which had only two zones. The second zone started in Harborcreek borough, and the driver would pull over there and collect the second fare. Usually riders knew that was part of the ride, but I did once see a rider become belligerent with the driver because she thought the driver was pulling some sort of scam. The zone fare set-up was printed on the schedule, but she may not have actually seen a schedule.  I wondered at the time why the company didn't have kind of have a sign or info sheet available on the county buses to head off these confrontations, because it must have sometimes been unpleasant or scary for the driver if a rider went off on them like this.

The fare zones were eliminated I think about ten years ago.

Apartment hunting for transit users

Apartment hunters, here are a few words and tips about the Facebook marketplace features for walkers, bikers, and Transit users.

These are helpful but sometimes not exactly accurate IMHO

For example, I've chosen an address right by 8th and Cherry, (which I've highlighted in yellow.) I'm very familiar with the area so I'm also familiar with the transit situation. See screen capture below.

Transit Score™ (highlighted in green) offers a score that sometimes doesn't seem to be that accurate. I would actually rate this address pretty high in terms of transit availability, yet the score they give it is only 41 out of 100. For instance from 8th and Cherry address there are four bus routes: Routes 4 and 30 on West 10th and Route 31 and 32 on West 6th. These are each very close by at least for my purposes. It seems to be a very transit-friendly location (.2 mile/4 min on foot) and I would think deserves a higher rating than they gave it

Below the scores is a "Nearby Transit" feature (in red highlight).

This is very helpful and usually quite accurate in telling you what which routes are near an address. 

For this particular address, however, I was surprised because it tells readers that for that -- although both 31 and 32 stop at West 6th and Cherry, the feature tells them to go to the Gridley Park shelter corner (.4 mi/9 min)

The scores and the transit info come from a national organization so I guess they could miss things that a local concern wouldn't. For me it wasn't a biggie just be aware.. it's still pretty helpful. (click/tap to enlarge)

 

Map

Also if you want housing on a particular route, open up the map (next photo) and click on the addresses being offered on that route. Click on a listing for further info and photos

Erie's Transitway Mall 1973-1993

Erie's Transitway Mall was built in 1973, and demolished in 1993. If you'd like to know more, check out these sources:

Lou Tullio's Transitway Mall  by Debbi Lyon, Old Time Erie Feb. 14, 2014

The Complicated Saga of Downtown Erie's Transitway Mall  Ed Whitbred, B..S. Presentation at Jefferson Educational Society July 19, 2023

Transitway Mall  Erie's History and Memorabilia 

Flashback Friday – April 1993, Demolition of Transitway Mall (YourErie June 2013) 

Transitways   National Association of City Transportation Officials

NORTH EAST (Rte 16) CHANGES

RT 16 BuS SCHEDULE CHANGES

🚌🍇🚌🍇🚌🍇🚌🍇

Route 16 North East bus schedule changed on November 18, 2023.

TIMES AFFECTED 

Most trip times are affected, so if you use the service you'll definitely want to check it out (see link below)

TRIP INTO ERIE STREAMLINED 

The good news for people on the trip heading toward Erie, is that the won't go to Winland Foods. In other words: trip to Erie starts from Janet Miller Building, goes *straight* on 89 then straight over Rte 20 and into Erie. 

TRIP INTO NORTH EAST

On the trip TO North East the bus *will* still go to Winland Foods 

WHAT'S UP WITH SERVICE TO NORTH EAST 

The bus company actually is committed to service to the North East area, but I think they have been a little wobbly since the campus left. The Winland rigamarole really confused some riders, and I think EMTA could have done a better job explaining how it worked. Kudos to them for making an attempt to try to make a workplace-oriented schedule though.

WALMART: NO MORE LONG STOPS

Re WalMart: Looks like no more 20 minute waits at WalMart Harborcreek.

LINKS

New schedule here https://ride-the-e.com/routes-2/

MyStop app for real time tracker and alerts

From 2013: Suggestion: 9th & Peach stop should explain change...

FROM OCTOBER 2013. 

I wrote this 10 years ago.

The situation still causes confusion to some people who are first encountering it, and the turn onto 10th and Peach still isn't explained anywhere. At least not that I'm aware of.

https://busblogerie.blogspot.com/2013/10/suggestion-9th-peach-stop-should.html?m=1

Bus Blog Erie: Suggestion: 9th & Peach stop should explain change...: The 9th & Peach stop (Avalon hotel) needs to be a place that provides good, easy to understand explanations of the change. And a big, e...

October 2023 events & meetings

Oct 2-8 - Week Without Driving challenge National event: "We created the Week Without Driving challenge so that policy makers, elected leaders and transportation professionals can begin to understand the barriers nondrivers experience in accessing our communities." Host: Disability Rights Washington 

Oct 19 - EMTA Quality Assurance meeting 12:30pm via Zoom info and RSBP Chris Gerhart cgerhart@ride-the-e.com

Oct 23 - EMTA Board monthly meeting 4pm via zoom

September meetings & events

Sept 21 - Quality Assurance Committee Meeting Contact Chris Gerhart <cgerhart@ride-the-e.com>

Sept 25 - EMTA monthly board meeting 4pm visa zoom

August 2023 ~ Meetings & Events

August 9 - MPO Technical Advisory Committee 10am  In person at Summit Twp Municipal Bldg, 1230 Townhall Rd West, Erie, PA.  Zoom at  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87208957013 or +1 (305) 224-1968 Meeting ID: 87208957013.

August 15 - East Side Active Transportation Study meeting 4pm in-person. Erie Western PA Port Authority 1 Holland Street Erie PA

August 28 - EMTA Monthly Board Meeting   4pm

August 31 - Benevolent Beers: BikeErie. Host: Erie Ale Works and BikeErie. Benefits BikeErie project for bike racks for businesses

At Lake Erie Cyclefest

Meetings & Events - July 2023

July 20 - Transportation Council for the Elderly and Disabled in Erie County 12:30pm via Zoom

July 24 - Monthly EMTA Board meeting 4pm

July 25 - Intercity Bus 101: State of the Industry webinar 2pm Host National RTAP

July 27 - CHQ Transit Rebranding Open House & Ribbon Cutting 1-3pm open to public 

August 31 - Benevolent Beers: BikeErie. Host: Erie Ale Works and BikeErie. Benefits BikeErie project for bike racks for businesses