Newsroom

Making the case for public transportation in Blair County

by Eric Wolf, General Manager

Monday, March 5, 2007 | Categories:

Opinion

When you work in the public sector, it’s always part of your job to justify your agency’s existence to elected officials and to taxpayers. That’s okay because public transit can make a compelling case.

Lindsey’s letter

Monday, March 12, 2007 | Categories:

Opinion

An actual letter from a young constituent to Senator John Eichelberger, Rep. Rick Geist, Rep. Jerry Stern. (Edited for length.)

What is a fair fare?

by Eric Wolf, AMTRAN General Manager

Monday, June 4, 2007 | Categories:

Opinion

There has been a lot of discussion around fare increases from the state legislature as well as from the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission. I’d like to talk a little about our new fares in Altoona.

"Money, Money, Money!"

by Eric Wolf, AMTRAN General Manager

Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | Categories:

Opinion

You may remember Norman Glucroft’s famous commercials, “Come to Roaring River Mills where you save only money. Money, Money, Money!” In line with Mr. Glucroft’s slogan, AMTRAN hopes that the Roaring River Mills property will “save only money” for the bus company.

AMTRAN options Roaring River Mills

Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | Categories:

AMTRAN News

On September 19, AMTRAN’s Board of Directors made an option offer on the Roaring River Mills property directly across 5th Avenue from their bus garage near Mansion Park.

AMTRAN launches new website

Friday, March 14, 2008 | Categories:

On March 14, AMTRAN launched a new website that is completely re-designed from the ground up.

AMTRAN exercises option to purchase Roaring River Mills

Thursday, May 1, 2008 | Categories:

AMTRAN has executed their option to purchase the Roaring River Mills property.

Has $4 gas increased AMTRAN’s ridership?

by Eric Wolf, AMTRAN General Manager

Monday, August 4, 2008 | Categories:

Opinion

From friends to elected officials to the media, everyone is constantly asking me, “With gas at $4.00 a gallon, isn't AMTRAN's ridership up?” Well it is up, but only a little, and here's why.

AMTRAN adds service

Monday, August 18, 2008 | Categories:

AMTRAN is adding service to some of their bus routes.

Public Transportation - The Economic Stimulus Vehicle

Opinion by Rich Farr, PPTA Chair

Friday, November 14, 2008 | Categories:

A column by Rich Farr
Chair, Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association
CEO, rabbittransit, York, PA

Effective Stimulus?

by Eric Wolf, AMTRAN General Manager

Wednesday, November 26, 2008 | Categories:

Among the many serious problems facing our country today, America is going to have to tackle the economic security issue of a crumbling public infrastructure. Investment in transportation in general and public transit in particular can begin to address this nation-threatening problem.

Trolleyworks Business Park by AMTRAN

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 | Categories:

On February 18, AMTRAN announced Phase I plans for the Trolleyworks Business Park at the site of the former Roaring River Mills.

Energy - does anybody really care?

by Eric Wolf, AMTRAN General Manager

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 | Categories:

Opinion

Remember last summer when our biggest economic threat was $4.00 gas? Ah, the good old days. With $2.00 gas and a worldwide economic meltdown, the energy issue has receded, but it certainly hasn’t gone away.

Smart Bus Project

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 | Categories:

AMTRAN News

After years of planning and procurement, design and development, AMTRAN demonstrated its Smart Bus Project in actual use on April 15.

myStop by phone

Monday, January 4, 2010 | Categories:

AMTRAN added a new feature to its Smart Bus Project to get real-time bus departure information to customers quickly and easily.

Reinventing AMTRAN as the smart choice.

by Eric Wolf, General Manager

Thursday, April 8, 2010 | Categories:

"AMTRAN is the smart choice. Take the bus!" It's been our slogan for almost 15 years. Now we are in the process of reinventing AMTRAN so that we really are the smart choice for our customers.

Transportation Funding Crisis

by Eric Wolf, General Manager

Tuesday, October 12, 2010 | Categories:

Loretta Lynn sang, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” But if she lived in Pennsylvania, she might be singing, “Everybody wants good highways, but nobody wants to pay for them.”

AMTRAN wins Chamber Technology Award

Monday, October 18, 2010 | Categories:

AMTRAN recently received a 2010 Technology Award from the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.

Winners in AMTRAN’s "Tell Your Story" Contest

Friday, February 4, 2011 | Categories:

As the debate on transportation funding continues in Harrisburg, we asked our customers to tell us why the bus service is important to them. We received more than 100 responses.

Service Improvements

"You talked. We listened."

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 | Categories:

AMTRAN announced plans to institute service improvements to the bus system based on customer feedback. The changes will take effect beginning June 13.

Is Political Leadership Rewarded or Ridiculed?

by Eric Wolf, General Manager

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 | Categories:

A state senator in Harrisburg recently stated that gas taxes and other user fees must be increased to pay to maintain roads and bridges. He had the courage to say out loud what everyone in the state legislature already knows but is afraid to utter.

Governor Corbett’s Leadership

from the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition

Friday, March 30, 2012 | Categories:

Opinion

Governor Tom Corbett plans to address transportation funding

AMTRAN beta tests new fare collection system for transit industry

Monday, April 2, 2012 | Categories:

AMTRAN is partnering with Avail Technologies of State College to develop a “game-changing” new fare collection system which is expected to have a significant impact on the transit industry nationwide.

All Day Pass for Kids - $1.00 All Summer

Friday, June 1, 2012 | Categories:

AMTRAN offers an All Day Pass for $1.00 all summer for students (6-18). The program begins on June 9 and ends on September 1.

New bus ribbon-cutting

Thursday, October 11, 2012 | Categories:

Three diesel electric hybrid buses now in service

Performance Review

by Eric Wolf, General Manager

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 | Categories:

Pennsylvania’s Act 44 of 2007 requires that all transit providers in the Commonwealth undergo an independent performance review every five years. PennDOT Bureau of Public Transportation personnel working with industry consultants recently completed an Act 44 Performance Review for AMTRAN.

Performance Review

by Eric Wolf, General Manager

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 | Categories:

Opinion

Local Bus Trip Planning through Google Maps

Wednesday, October 9, 2013 | Categories:

AMTRAN is proud to announce transit trip planning through Google Maps^™ to an already long list of technology applications to make it easier to ride the bus.

Fare Increase

Friday, April 15, 2016 | Categories:

AMTRAN News

Amtran has announced plans for a fare increase. The proposal is to increase the base fare five cents per year for the next five years. The first proposed increase will take place July 1 going from $1.50 to $1.55 for a one-way adult fare. Amtran’s last fare increase was four years ago.