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EMTA to get $11.6 million from American Rescue Plan

From  "Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority getting $11.6 million from American Rescue Plan"  Kevin Flowers Erie Times-News April 2, 2021: [

[EMTA exceutive director Jeremy] Peterson said EMTA must now develop "a transparent plan" for the American Rescue Plan money.
EMTA officials are studying the grant requirements and asking federal officials about whether there are any restrictions, Peterson said.
[...]
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, addressing the American Rescue Plan funding, said in a statement that "transportation workers are serving on the front lines of this pandemic: delivering the vaccine, getting people to essential jobs and providing goods and services to people who need them.
"The critical American Rescue Plan funding we are announcing today will help prevent service cuts, protect employees from layoffs, keep riders and workers safe and strengthen our economy," Buttigieg said.
Dave Robinson, EMTA's board chairman, called the funding “existential” for EMTA and other transit agencies across the country.
“Everybody’s lost ridership and it’s going to take a while to bring that back,” Robinson said. “And that’s not a thing that you can just turn on and off. This money is going to help keep us afloat.”

EMTA,COVID-19,funding

Alternative routes to the Mall

If the Route 3 is too crowded for comfort, here are other routes that take you to the same place. 

EMTA,Millcreek Mall, routes, COVID-19

City Council Study Session: EMTA Feb. 11, 2021

Erie City Council hears from Jeremy Peterson and Chris Gerhart 

City Council OKs walkability, bike, other improvements

From Erie Times News 2/4/2021:

Erie City Council has signed off on a plan to improve transportation and public accessibility throughout the city, particularly for bicycles and pedestrians.
Council on Wednesday morning unanimously approved what’s being called Active Erie during its regular meeting.
The plan examines opportunities to improve the city's transportation network, including walkability and enhancements for bicyclists.

City Council 2/4/2021 presentation and vote Begins at 58:51 

 

Some EMTA schedule and route changes coming in February

 From Ed Torres, Director of Fixed Route Operations at EMTA:

Earlier times for some Saturday routes Nov. 21

EMTA Director of Fixed Route Operations Ed Torres tells me some EMTA Saturday routes will begin earlier starting November 21.

Below are the earlier start times:   
3   - 7:00am
21 - 6:35am
25 - 7:55am
28 - 7:30am
30 - 7:55am

Millcreek Mall 1 & 3 changes

There is some confusion about what is going on with the weekday changes of Routes 1 and 3. I was one of those confused people.

I had two people patiently explain the changes to me, and I couldn't quite follow it. I looked over the new schedule and still was not clear on what was going on. So when Ed Torres said it's basically like the old Route 9, I dug out an old 2005 schedule and checked out the old Route 9 schedule.

It shows that Route 9 was basically alternating Peach and Cherry, and they marked each trip with a P or a C (I don't know what the other letter stood for, so let's not get sidetracked).

So, back in the present, it looks like for Route 3, one trip goes via Peach, next trip Cherry, next trip Peach, next trip Cherry... etc. Also, the trip between Mall and Summit looks like it's pretty much the same.

As for Saturdays...If you need to make the trip on Saturday, consult both the 1 and the 3 to find out what is going on with that. There is a separate schedule for Route 1 service (It is for Saturday only).

I like the old  format better for this kind of schedule, and I'm going to ask Ed to consider using it if they plan on keeping this alternating Peach and Cherry thing going for any length of time. I think that is easier to follow that than having Cherry in red ink, which is going to be lost on the paper schedules since they print those in black and white.

Anyway, I hope this is the correct understanding of what is going on with the 1 & 3 changes. If incorrect, please let me know and I will clear it up.

New Route 3 schedule  

New Route 1 schedule 

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGES 

Old Route 9 schedule (from 2005) shows how the trips alternate between Peach and Cherry

Current (3/28/2020) Route 3 schedule. Cherry Street is shown in red

Current (8/28/2020) Route 1.

Pandemic bike shortage

Bike rack at WalMart Summit location 8/28/2020

During the pandemic, we've become used to empty shelves.
I took this photo at the bike rack at WalMart in Summit. I asked an associate if this was pandemic related and she said yes. I asked if they would be getting more anytime soon, and she said she couldn't answer that. Same story at the Elm Street location. -
Some of it is  fear of public transportation in a pandemic. But it also has to do with supply chains. An interesting article from Marketplace: Bike shortage is a tale of changed lives and disrupted supply chains 

EMTA county route changes

Changes to LAKE CITY/GIRARD, NORTH EAST, EDINBORO. Click on links for route schedule.
Changes take effect August 29, 2020.

LAKE CITY/GIRARD/FVW 

Good news --2 routes to choose from now

• Route 229 now goes to Lake City, Girard, and Fairview weekdays. Where it stops: "Similar to Albion route. Except bus does not travel to route 18. So Fairview and Girard at the corners. Passengers should wave to drivers if they are waiting at a corner to get picked up." Ed Torres, EMTA Fixed Route Operations
• Route 12  looks the same. 

NORTH EAST Route 16

Route 16 now has four trips during the week..
Note: Janet Miller and South Lake have been cut from route but will go there by request (call dispatch 814-452-3515) 

EDINBORO Route 14

Route 14 has an early weekday trip added (leave Erie 6:30am) for 4 total weekday trips. All times changed, check times. Saturdays look the same to me, but check it out.

Mike Onda Beach at Edinboro Lake 
Photo:  Deb Spilko

North East route adds two trips

EMTA's North East run will add back two weekday trips, leaving Erie at  7:20am 11:20am  2:30 pm 6:20pm and leaving North East   8:20am 12:20pm 3:30pm 7:20pm

Also looks like Janet Miller Building (police academy) and South Lake cut from the route, but they will accommodate by request (call Dispatch 814-452-3515)

Saturday is same. Schedule takes effect August 29, 2020

Check schedule here 

Mall routes and other changes

If you use the Mall buses check out the upcoming changes. (effective Aug 29, 2020)

Route 1

https://ride-the-e.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Route-1_August-2020.pdf 

Route 3

https://ride-the-e.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Route-3_August-2020.pdf  

Check other changes here https://ride-the-e.com/routes-2/

Pandemic Layoffs at EMTA

This is an update on driver layoffs. The EMTA employees already know about this, so I’m directing at riders and others.

▪️On Monday July 27 the drivers union and EMTA reached an agreement about pandemic-related layoffs.
▪️Service wont be affected by the layoffs, though some drivers livelihoods definitely will be.
▪️22 drivers will be on layoff.
▪️The decision about who gets to stay appears to be completely about seniority.
▪️In March of this year, largely because of the pandemic, ridership dropped by 85%. Service had to be cut and 39 drivers were laid off.
▪️Company has called back approximately 17.
▪️The agreement was hammered out and arrived at between union and company.
▪️Although the rider support and concern were appreciated by affected drivers, it is hard to imagine that in this particular issue they could have made a difference, because of what the parties had to work with.
▪️As I understand it, the drivers who are laid off may still be called back within 24 months?
▪️Very sorry for those who are among the laid off at this time. Hopefully this whole situation that caused this will be turned around soon. 🙏
~deb

~~~~~~

Note: The agreement between ATU Local 568 and EMTA is a bit more detailed than this. However, as I said, this was written for riders, and I wrote it for ease of understanding what was going on. Also, I know the company and union describe the agreement a little differently than the other, and I tried to stay as basic as I could. ~deb