Public Transportation in Meadville

1
Public Transportation in Meadville

• Ben, Jess, Katie, Kevin, Elliot

2
Mass transit in America

• Main purpose is to provide transportation to
  those without personal vehicles
• Today, in smaller communities like Meadville,
  buses are the norm for public transportation
• Operated and overseen by the
• local (municipal) government

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• Community transportation systems support
• many aspects of economic development,
• including
• Creating jobs by attracting employers
• to areas that are accessible to more people
• Empowering workers by enabling
• disadvantaged people to reach jobs
• and become productive members of society
• Getting workers to opportunities for training and
  self-improvement to make them more productive
• Strengthening local businesses by giving them
  access to workers and to a wider market and
• Enabling elderly people to remain independent by
  providing access to health care and other basic
  life needs.

4
CATA and The Loop

• Crawford Area Transportation Authority was
  started in 1979 and receives funding from all
  levels of government
• The buses are diesel-powered and run on seven
  different routes
• Discount fares are available for seniors, special
  work programs, etc.
• The loop is a cooperative endeavor between ASG
  and CATA, funded solely by Allegheny college
• Students ride for free upon presenting a college
  I.D.

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• ASG pays 40 per hour for the service of the Loop
• ASG issues tokens which can be used to obtain
  free rides on CATA buses
• Allegheny College maintains an online Ride Board
  forum, where students can post their
  destinations, look up rides home, etc. _at_
  webtools.allegheny.edu/rideboard/rideboard.php

6
Other Colleges

• Eckerd College others have started
  bicycle-renting programs on their campuses
• USC and Ball State have bus fleets running on
  biodiesel to reduce environmental impact
• The University of Minnesota has a Zipcar program
  for students at a cost of 30 per year
• Emory University provides generous incentives for
  employees who commit to walking, biking,
  carpooling, and other more environmentally
• sustainable methods of transportation

7
Other Cities

• The city of Indiana PA uses a fleet of buses
  running on Compressed Natural Gas, which is
  relatively clean-burning and produces fewer
  emissions than diesel
• Many European cities have a system of bike rental
  where subscribers can pick up and drop off
  bicycles or mopeds at kiosks anytime, for a small
  monthly fee.

8
Alternatives

• Public transportation in Meadville could be
  improved by
• Using hydrogen or biodiesel buses to decrease the
  carbon footprint
• Instituting a trolley or other light-rail system,
  which can be powered using alternative energy.
• Encouraging the use of bicycles by providing
  financial incentives and increasing their
  availability
• Lowering of rates and improvement of the routes
  so that public transportation is more appealing