| LANTA | |
| Founded: | 1972 |
| Headquarters: | 1060 Lehigh Street Allentown, Pennsylvania U.S. |
| Locale: | Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Service Area: | Lehigh Valley |
| Service Type: | Local Transit bus service |
| Routes: | 2 bus rapid transit 23 local 8 flex 4 circular (37 total) |
| Destinations: | Allentown Bethlehem Easton |
| Hubs: | Allentown Transportation Center (ATC) Bethlehem Transportation Center (BTC) Easton Intermodal Transportation Center (EITC) |
| Fleet: | 86 buses |
| Ridership: | |
| Annual Ridership: | |
| Fuel Type: | Compressed Natural Gas, hybrid diesel-electric |
| Ceo: | Owen O'Neil[1] |
The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) is a regional public transportation authority that provides public bus and rapid transit service throughout the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, including Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and their respective suburbs.
LANTA is the third-largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania, behind Pittsburgh Regional Transit and SEPTA, with an annual ridership of as of fiscal year 2023.[2]
LANTA was founded in March 1972 in response to meet growing public transportation needs in Lehigh and Northampton. The solution was to create a bi-county, municipal authority that would operate all public transit services in the two counties. Lehigh Valley Transit Company, a private for-profit entity, operated transit services in the Valley.[3] LANTA is governed by the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority board, which has ten voting and two non-voting members appointed by county executives.
In 1973, the Authority replaced the entire 65-vehicle fleet with modern air-conditioned transit coaches. In 1974, LANTA added 30% more service hours and established a peak/off-peak fare structure offering discounts in the off-peak hours and Saturdays to encourage ridership. Seniors, through a state lottery funded program, were offered free fare access during off-peak hours and weekends in 1975.
The Authority's main service is in the urbanized area of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton and surrounding Lehigh Valley boroughs and townships. About 380,000 people live within 3/4 mile of a fixed-route bus line. About 15,000 trips are taken daily on the metro city transit system.
In 1985, as the Lehigh Valley transformed from a manufacturing-based economy to a more service and retail-based economy, LANTA was completely revamped, and a new "Metro" system was introduced. This included a color-coded route information system to make riding transit more user-friendly. The following year, discounted fares were introduced as LANTA raised the case fares but kept ticket and pass prices the same and providing frequent riders with a 25% discount.[4]
In 1988, Metro Plus services for the elderly and people with disabilities were introduced. Fully accessible vans are available through contracts with private operators to take people to destinations door-to-door for a higher, zoned fare.
On October 21, 2001, LANTa began offering Sunday bus service to further increase access to public transit. The service is funded through revenues from the farebox, a grant from the Pennsylvania Lottery program with revenue generated by rides taken on the system by seniors 65 and older, grants from Lehigh and Northampton counties, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the Federal Transit Administration. Combined these grants pay approximately 60% of the cost of operation; the remaining funds come through the lottery program and passenger fares.
Approximately 2,000 trips are taken daily on the Metro Plus paratransit system. A transportation center was established in Bethlehem and centers in Allentown and Easton are under consideration.
The agency has grown in more recent years, adding more and more bus routes throughout the Lehigh Valley. Ridership has grown 75% since LANTA's inception. LANTA was formerly involved with The Slater Express Van, Silverline Express, and The Bethlehem Loop.
In August 2011, a new LANtaBus system was introduced that changed the route naming scheme from letters to one-to-three digits. Routes are broken down into six categories, corresponding to the first digit of the line number, and further broken down into specific routes after that in accordance with their second and third digit. For example, LANtaBus route 108 is a trunk route that offers service from Fountain Hill to the Bethlehem Square Shopping center. LANtaBus route 410 provides service for the Allentown School District and only operates during the school year. New bus stop signs were also introduced throughout the system that lists the routes that operate at the stop, compared to the old signs that only displayed a picture of a bus and the words "LANTA Metro".[5]
In 2023, LANTA introduced Enhanced Bus Service (EBS), the first bus rapid transit system in the Lehigh Valley. EBS provides limited stop express service to select stops along core network corridors between Trexlertown and Easton, with the goal of providing headways of 15-minutes or less. Currently under implementation in a multi-phased approach, the system consists of two lines: the Green Line, connecting Whitehall to South Bethlehem, and the Blue Line, connecting Trexlertown to Easton, with the two routes sharing a common route between Allentown and Bethlehem. This allows for continuous 15-minute service between the two cities, a first for the region. Future plans include dedicated boarding stations, traffic signal prioritization, queue jump lanes, and dedicated median bus lanes.[6]
LANTA has three operating divisions:
LANTA is also involved with the 400 Routes, which provide school service in Allentown.
98 buses are in the LANtaBus city transit fleet; 118 vans are used to provide the LANTaVan door-to-door van services. The Authority owns all vehicles.
LANTA has eight operating facilities:
LANTA previously operated 35 fixed bus routes in its Metro service. Seventeen LANTA routes serve the inner city areas of the Lehigh Valley, while five numbered routes serve the surrounding areas. Two shuttles named "The Rover" and "The Whirlybird", that operate from the Lehigh Valley Mall and Palmer Park Malls to various neighboring shopping strips and centers, serve as the final daily fixed routes. In the evening, LANTA operates the Starlight service made of seven fixed routes, which serve Center City Allentown, the Lehigh Valley Mall, Palmer Park Mall, Whitehall Township, and Emmaus.
The Night Owl service runs late-night from Center City Allentown to Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest. Metro also operates the Silverline Express, which is an express bus that serves the Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton areas via Route 22 and the Bethlehem Loop, which serves as a shuttle for Downtown Bethlehem.
LANtaBus operates two bus rapid transit, 23 fixed bus routes, eight flex routes, four crosstown and circular routes that operate throughout the Lehigh Valley, and nine routes that operate during the school year for the Allentown School District.
Routes with numbers in the 100s are trunk route and offer the largest operating schedules Monday through Sunday. The 200s routes operate through urban corridors Monday through Saturday during the day. The 300s routes operate mainly in suburban corridors Monday through Friday during the day. The 400s routes are reserved exclusively for the Allentown School District. The 500s routes are reservation-based lines for suburban areas like Macungie. The 600s routes are circulars designed to address the needs of certain markets.[8]
| Route | Name | Terminals | Major streets | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EBS Green Line | (formerly 100) | Whitehall | Wind Creek Bethlehem | MacArthur Rd., Hamilton Boulevard, Union Boulevard | |
| EBS Blue Line | (formerly 101) | Trexlertown | Easton Intermodal Transportation Center | Hamilton Boulevard, Hamilton Street, William Penn Highway | |
102 | Union Blvd Local | Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest | Wind Creek Bethlehem | Hamilton Boulevard, Union Boulevard | |
103 | Susquehanna St - Northampton | Northampton | LVIP VII | MacArthur Rd., Broadway, East 4th Street | |
104 | Emmaus | Allentown Transportation Center | Emmaus | Emaus Avenue | |
105 | Hellertown | Lehigh Valley International Airport | Hellertown | Catasaqua Rd., 4th St, Hellertown Road | |
106 | Easton - Palmer | Northampton Crossings | Easton Intermodal Transportation Center | Nazareth Road, Northampton Street | |
107 | Hanover Ave | Village West Shopping Center | Bethlehem Transportation Center | Cedar Crest Boulevard, Tilghman Street, Hanover Avenue | |
108 | Fountain Hill - East Hills | Fountain Hill | Bethlehem Square Shopping Center | Stefko Boulevard, East Boulevard | |
209 | LCCC - Allentown Transportation Center | Cumberland Gardens | Lehigh Carbon Community College | Walbert Avenue, Route 309 | |
210 | South Mall to Lehigh Valley Mall, via ATC | Lehigh Valley Mall | South Mall | Fullerton Avenue, Lehigh Street | |
211 | Parkway Whitehall | Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest | MacArthur Towne Center | South 24th Street, Hamilton Street, MacArthur Road | |
| valign=top | 214 | Forks - College Hill - Easton (EITC) | Easton Intermodal Transportation Center | Radial Corporation | Sullivan Trail |
| valign=top | 216 | Easton - Nazareth | Nazareth Plaza (Nazareth) | Easton Intermodal Transportation Center | Nazareth Road, Greenwood Avenue, Freemansburg Avenue |
| valign=top | 217 | Slate Belt | Roseto | Northampton Crossings | Route 512, Sullivan Tr., Route 248 |
| valign=top | 218 | Fogelsville | Fogelsville | Allentown Transportation Center | Tilghman Street |
| valign=top | 220 | Bethlehem - Easton | Easton Intermodal Transportation Center | Bethlehem Transportation Center | Freemansburg Ave, Easton Ave |
| valign=top | 312 | Bethlehem - Nazareth | Bethlehem Transportation Center | Nazareth Plaza (Nazareth) | Freemansburg Avenue, Hecktown Road, Route 191 |
| valign=top | 319 | Race Street | Allentown Transportation Center | Bethlehem Square | Race Street, Stoke Park Road, Brodhead Road |
| 322 | Hamilton Blvd - Breinigsville | Allentown Transportation Center | Nestle | Chew St., Hamilton Blvd. | |
323 | Center Valley | Penn State Lehigh Valley | Allentown Transportation Center | S. 4th Street, Emaus Avenue, Lehigh Street | |
324 | Airport | Stefko and Broad | Allentown Transportation Center | Airport Road, American Parkway | |
325 | Lehigh Valley Mall - Palmerton via LCCC | Lehigh Valley Mall | Palmerton | Route 329, Route 309, Route 873, Main Street, Route 248 | |
327 | Fountain Hill - LVIP IV | Bethlehem Square | Fountain Hill | Brodhead Road, Center Street, Broadway | |
603 | West Allentown Crosstown | Lehigh Valley Mall | Parkway Shopping Center | MacArthur Rd., Allen Street, Jefferson Street | |
605 | Bethlehem Circulator | Commerce Center Boulevard | Bethlehem Transportation Center | East 4th Street, Market Street | |
| 606 | South Easton Circulator | Easton Intermodal Transportation Center | Easton Food Market | St. John Street, Line Street, Berwick Street. | |
| 613 | Trexlertown - Breinigsville | Trexlertown Transit Center | Fogelsville Weis | Industrial Blvd, Cetronia Rd, Hamilton Blvd. | |
| Route | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| valign=top | 501 | Macungie-Alburtis Flex |
| valign=top | 502 | Slate Belt Flex |
| valign=top | 503 | Walnutport-Slatington-LCCC Flex |
| valign=top | 504 | Coplay-Airport-Mall Flex |
| valign=top | 505 | Coopersburg Flex |
| valign=top | 506 | Bath-Hanoverville-Nazareth Flex |
| valign=top | 507 | West/South Easton Flex |
| 508 | New Smithville-Trexlertown Flex | |
| Route | Description |
|---|---|
| CT Bus | Carbon Transit routes, which alternate depending on the day of the week http://carbontransit.com/ |
| The 400 Routes | School routes for the Allentown School District |
| FleetNumber(s) | BuildDate | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1079-1081 | 2010 | Gillig | Low Floor HEV 35'(G30B102N4) | Cummins ISB | Allison EP40hybrid system | ||
| 1284-1288 | 2013 | Gillig | Low Floor HEV 35'(G30B102N4) | Cummins ISB6.7 | Allison H 40 EPhybrid system | ||
| 1289-1293 | 2013 | Gillig | Low Floor HEV 40'(G30D102N4) | Cummins ISB6.7 | Allison H 40 EPhybrid system | ||
| 1400-1403 | 2014 | Gillig | Low Floor HEV 40'(G30D102N4) | Cummins ISB6.7 | Allison H 40 EPhybrid system | ||
| 1404-1408 | 2014 | Gillig | Low Floor HEV 35'(G30B102N4) | Cummins ISB6.7 | Allison H 40 EPhybrid system | ||
| 1609-1611 | 2016 | Gillig | Low Floor HEV 35'(G30B102N4) | Cummins ISB6.7 | Allison H 40 EPhybrid system | ||
| 1712-1720 | 2017 | Gillig | Low Floor CNG 35'(G31B102N4) | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R | ||
| 1721-1727 | 2017 | Gillig | Low Floor CNG 40'(G31D102N4) | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R | ||
| 1828-1830 | 2018 | Gillig | Low Floor CNG 40'(G31D102N4) | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R | ||
| 1831-1835 | 2018 | Gillig | Low Floor CNG 35'(G31B102N4) | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R | ||
| 1936-1939 | 2019 | Gillig | Low Floor CNG 35'(G31B102N4) | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R | 2018 models. | |
| 1940-1945 | 2019 | Gillig | Low Floor CNG 40'(G31D102N4) | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R | 2018 models. | |
| 2046-2050 | 2019 | Gillig | Low Floor CNG 40'(G31D102N4) | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R | ||
| 2051-2055 | 2019 | Gillig | Low Floor CNG 35'(G31B102N4) | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R | ||
| 2156-2160 | 2020 | Gillig | Low Floor CNG 35'(G31B102N4) | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R | ||
| 2161-2165 | 2020 | Gillig | Low Floor CNG 40'(G31D102N4) | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R | ||
| 2166-2168 | 2021 | Gillig | Low Floor CNG 40'(G31D102N4) | Cummins Westport L9N | |||
| 2269-2275 | 2022 | Gillig | Low Floor CNG 40'(G31D102N4) | Cummins Westport L9N |