CENTRE COUNTY — The Centre Area Transportation Authority began the first phase of a multi-phase project that will redesign Centre Region bus stops and shelters, according to a statement from CATA on Monday, Jan. 6.
“You may have noticed new bus stop signs within the CATA system. We are excited to announce that these new signs are the first phase of a three-phase plan to revitalize many of our stops,” the statement shared. “Phase one involves replacing all CATABUS signs and updating some amenities, such as service information and QR codes that can be scanned by customers’ smartphones to access the CATA website.”
The second phase of the project will include an inventory and assessment of the current bus stops in the CATA service area. This will involve the collection of photo documentation of each stop and an analysis of the repair needs so that CATA can determine the priority order of each stop.
“We will also be developing a first-ever stop classification system, which will classify bus stops by size and will ensure that frequently used stops have consistent amenities, such as shelters and seating,” the statement explained. “This categorization will be based on factors such as current ridership, potential future growth and surrounding destinations. Once the assessment and categorization are complete, CATA will prioritize stop upgrades throughout the system and will work with local municipalities to apply for funding to make improvements.
The third phase of the project, which is anticipated to occur in the latter half of the year, will include implementing upgrades to the stops.
“It’s been years since CATA improved our bus stops, and we are overdue for an upgrade. With this
project, CATA will be giving our passengers a fresh, improved, and updated location to wait for our
buses, improving the passenger experience,” David Rishel, CATA executive director, said. “This
will be a long-term project but breaking it into phases has let us refresh our current bus stops right
away while we work on bigger improvements to come.”
