LEWISTOWN - As gas prices continue to rise, those who commute to work may be considering alternatives to driving, such as shared rides and other transportation services. Area authorities weigh in on some local options and their benefits.
Terri Quici, commuter services manager at CATA in State College, said under the CATACOMMUTE program there are three services that offer transportation and other alternatives to long-distance commuters throughout State College and surrounding areas.
The first of the services, called Rideshare, is a free ride-matching program where commuters can find others to ride with through a database, which currently contains about 1,400 people, Quici said.
Those who use the system enter their name, address and work location. The database presents a list of people who match that information. There is no geographical limit for this service, Quici said; however, either the commuter originates in State College, or is traveling to the State College area. Commuters in the database come from all over, she said, including such areas as Lewisburg, Williamsport and Lock Haven.
The second service within CATA as part of CATACOMMUTE is the Vanpool program, Quici said, which was aquired from Penn State University.
In the system there are 19 vanpools, and the program services 10 counties around the State College area. There is one for Mifflin County, Quici said, which comes from Lewistown.
"They're full and actually have a waiting list," she said of the Mifflin County vanpool.
To have a vanpool in a certain area, there need to be at least seven participants, Quici said. Each vanpool can hold up to 15 people.
CATA provides the van, insurance, gas and maintenance for a low fee, Quici said, and there is a volunteer driver who rides for free.
The Vanpool from Lewistown costs about $75 to $80 per month. The price, she explained, is based on the mileage and the number of riders. There is a flat rate which is divided amongst the riders.
And the third service, Quici said, is the Guaranteed Ride Home program which helps people get places in the event of an emergency.
This service provides up to four rides home per year, she said.
"It kind of takes the worry out of getting into an arrangement," Quici said.
People who use the CATACOMMUTE services travel an average of about 32 miles one way, she said, with some reaching 60 miles one way, including those who commute to Harrisburg.
In addition to the three main services, CATA also is in the process of implementing a regional bus service, which would function just like public transit, Quici said, and would travel to a certain area two or three times a day.
This would be available to people whenever they want it, she said, such as if their car is getting repairs. For this service CATA currently is working with ATA, a public transportation authority in Clearfield County, Quici said.
"It's all about giving people options who are long-distance commuters," she said, whether they are traveling to work or school or both.
Quici said she's definitely seen a rise in CATACOMMUTE participants over the years as gas prices go up.
In 2008 when gas was $4 a gallon, the CATA commuter programs tripled, she said.
And also, within the last few months, as gas prices rise again, more people are using the CATA services, Quici said.
"It's a new way of thinking for a lot of us," she said, because many people are used to being independent and using their cars for their own transportation.
However, carpooling makes a lot of sense for many people, Quici said. It can reduce accidents, save people money, is better for the environment, and for a variety of people, reduces stress, she said.
Milt Weisman, vice president of Intercity Coach Services at Fullington Trailways LLC, said the company offers a daily departure transportation service that reaches from State College to Harrisburg with stops in between. About 75 percent of riders, he said, use this service to travel to and from work.
One part of the daily departure service runs Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. It starts in State College and ends in Harrisburg, making stops in Lewistown, Mifflintown, Thompsontown, Millerstown and Newport, Weisman said.
That same bus, he said, leaves Harrisburg later in the day and travels in reverse, ending up back in State College.
This route, Weisman said, has about 20-some riders each day, but "it's hard to say right now" is there is an increase in riders as gas prices rise.
One of the benefits of using this service, Weisman said, is a "frequent rider discount" which consists of three types of discounted fares for riders: a 10-ride fare, a 20-ride fare and a monthly fare, which is good for the month it is purchased, he said.
These fares, Weisman said, allow people to plan ahead by purchasing only what they need.
"You just use those when you need them," he said.
Another benefit to using the daily departure service is that riders won't have to pay for parking, which they might have to if they drive. Also, not driving can save wear and tear on riders' cars. Additionally, if riders use the service for work, they may be able to lower their car insurance, Weisman said. Because they wouldn't be using their car to drive to work, but instead for personal use only, "you get put in a lower category," he said. "People sometimes don't realize that."
Part of the daily departure service includes an "early morning" bus, Weisman explained, which picks up riders at the Mifflin County Library in Lewistown and goes to Harrisburg. At the end of the day it reverses its route, he said.
The "early morning" ride is mostly geared toward inner city travelers and workers, he said. It only runs Monday through Friday, except holidays.
Additionally, Fullington's daily departure also offers a line that runs seven days a week, 365 days a year. It goes from State College to Harrisburg with stops in between. Lewistown's stop is at Laskaris Restaurant, Weisman said.
This specific route departs State College at 10 a.m. and arrives in Lewistown at 10:45 a.m. It eventually ends up in Harrisburg at 11:50 a.m. There's a second route, which leaves State College at 4:55 p.m., arrives in Lewistown at 5:40 p.m., and then in Harrisburg at 6:45 p.m. The same line then reverses the trip at the end of the day. The first day-end bus leaves Harrisburg at 2:25 p.m.; the last bus leaves Harrisburg at 7:15 p.m., Weisman said.
In addition to the daily departures, Fullington also offers transportation through Fullington Tours to such places as Washington, D.C. and New York City. These trips include both day trips and overnight trips, Weisman said.
This service can be beneficial for families who want to take trips but don't want to drive, he said.
For more information about CATA COMMUTE email rideshare@catabus.com or visit www.catabus.com. For more information about Fullington's daily departures or tours, visit www.FullingtonTours.com.
