Lancaster’s Red Rose Transit Authority
board took its first formal step toward a merger with Berks County’s BARTA
system on Wednesday.
But the combined South Central Transit Authority will be
indistinguishable from the present RRTA and BARTA.
“We’ll form a new authority and nobody will know the
difference,” RRTA Executive Director David Kilmer said.
The single authority will operate RRTA and BARTA buses in
their respective counties. The names on the buses will not change, nor will
their colors.
Despite the connection of the two systems, Kilmer has
said he doesn’t foresee connecting the routes of the two bus systems unless
there is a demonstrable need.
“It doesn’t effect the service on the street in either
community, and that’s the important thing,” Kilmer said of the merger.
The changes — and the savings — will occur behind the
scenes. The combined authority will combine administrative, financial,
purchasing and other functions.
Kilmer is predicting “economies of scale” with having the
third largest transit agency in the state by budget, and fourth largest by
passengers and miles covered.
(Philadelphia’s SEPTA system is the largest in the state
by far, with some 78 percent of transit passengers. Pittsburgh’s PACC carries
about 14 percent of the state’s transit riders. State College’s CATA is third
with 1.6 percent. The combined Lancaster-Berks authority would have 1.2 percent
of the passengers. The remaining 5.2 percent of passengers are divided among
the state’s 18 smaller systems.)
Earlier, Kilmer was predicting savings of $650,000
annually. On Wednesday, Kilmer said the goal is to cut combined costs by
$780,820.
That would eliminate the need for the current
contributions from the Lancaster and Berks county governments. He hopes to see
that level of savings for at least the first five years.
Under a timetable presented to RRTA board members
Wednesday, the merger would be completed by the end of this year. The first
meeting of the new authority board is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 28.
On Wednesday, RRTA board members took the first formal
action toward the merger. The board unanimously approved a resolution calling
on the Lancaster County Commissioners to create a new authority.
A similar resolution is expected to go before the Berks
Area Regional Transit Authority board on Sept. 29.
“It’s a momentous step, but it’s not a final step,” RRTA
board Chairman Jeff Wibberly remarked.
“No, this is the first of many,” Kilmer responded.
Both boards of county commissioners will need to hold
public hearings after 30 days to form the new authority.
The merger also requires the approval of the state
Transportation Department and the Federal Transit Administration.
The governor will also need to sign off on the new
authority to allow it to receive federal funding.
Kilmer said the name South Central Transit Authority is
being recommended by a merger study committee. Keystone Transit was also
considered, but there are many other entities named Keystone.
He said it was important not to include the name of
either county. The committee wanted to be careful not to indicate that one was
taking over the other.
Talks about a merger of the two transit agencies began
almost a year ago. In October, Kilmer was named to a dual
role of acting executive director of BARTA and RRTA took over
administrative functions of the Reading-based authority under contract with the
BARTA board.
That followed the death of the Berks transit authority’s
long-time executive director.
The merger talks also come as state transportation
officials are considering the effects of consolidating smaller agencies into
regional authorities.
Mark Glatz, of Easton Coach, commented
Wednesday that his company “applauds and endorses the merger.”
Easton is contracted to provide RRTA’s Red Rose Access
service as well as BARTA’s shared ride service.
Glatz said Easton has already merged the maintenance of
the two van fleets at its East Petersburg facility.
Source: Central
Penn Business Journal
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