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About LANTA
(Revised 08/27/2008)
Multimedia | Board of Directors
LANTA
The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA), created in the midst of a transportation crisis in March of 1972 by Lehigh and Northampton counties, is charged with operating a "public transportation system . . for public use in the metropolitan area consisting of the Counties of Lehigh and Northampton." The Authority assumed responsibility for the transit system formerly owned and operated by Lehigh Valley Transit Company, a private, for-profit entity which, in 1970, petitioned the PUC to permit the cessation of services. A bi-county, municipal authority, LANTA supplements passenger fares and other revenues with county, state and federal funding to support operating and capital expenses.
Of its twelve member Board of Directors (10 voting, 2 ex-officio), six are appointed by the Lehigh County Executive and six are appointed by the Northampton County Executive. The Board meets monthly to review operations, finance matters and establishes the policies and direction for the organization. The Board appoints an Executive Director to manage the transit system on a day-to-day basis.
The Authority is proud to report that a safe, efficient, coordinated, economical and high quality bus transportation system runs throughout Lehigh and Northampton counties. It is one of the finest transit systems in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, if not in the nation.
Metro
LANTA operates the Metro system, a network of 30 fixed bus routes throughout the Lehigh Valley providing daily, later evening, Saturday, and Sunday services. More than 380,000 people live within walking distance of a Metro route.
There has been a 75% increase in ridership since LANTA's inception: currently more than 4.2 million rides are taken on public transit in the Valley annually. Metro's 80 vehicle bus fleet has been continually modernized so that passengers may ride to work, school, shopping and medical services in safety and comfort. Transit fares have been maintained at reasonable levels, with discount tickets - including a $2 daypass good for unlimited rides all day - are available to all riders.
The Metro system is concentrated in urbanized area of the Cities of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton and surrounding boroughs and townships. A set of "shuttle" routes provides services in areas at the edge of the urbanization area and a "Starlight" set of routes, operating in an abbreviated urban setting, runs until about midnight, Monday thru Saturday.
Metro Plus
LANTA's Metro Plus division, a brokerage operation, arranges special door-to-door transportation services for people with disabilities and the elderly who cannot access the regular Metro transit system. The 118 accessible vans and mini-buses available to Metro Plus customers are dispatched daily. More than 400,000 trips were arranged by Metro Plus last year. Metro Plus, acting as a broker, contracts with Easton Coach Company, Inc. of Forks Township to provide these services to customers.
CCCT (Carbon County Community Transit)
LANTA manages the public transportation system for the County of Carbon. CCCT offers services - both shared-ride, door-to-door and fixed route - within Carbon County and to several points outside of the county including the regional Mall area in Whitehall, Lehigh County. It is a service sponsored by Carbon County in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Shared Ride Lottery Program and Rural Transportation Division and the Federal Transit Administration.
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