Newsroom
Altoona Mirror Editorial
PennDOT Report Troubling
Thursday, January 31, 2019 | Categories:Mirror editorial on Amtran's Performance Review 2018 by PennDOT
Amtran Report from PennDOT
Wednesday, December 19, 2018 | Categories:PennDOT's Performance Reviews from 2012 and 2018
Service Changes January 2, 2019
Monday, November 5, 2018 | Categories:Changes to #5 Pleasant Valley, #8 Hollidaysburg, and #9 Lakemont
Amtran retires GMC New Looks
Monday, June 25, 2018 | Categories:40-year old buses are retired in Altoona, PA. Six are being donated to restoration organizations.
Compressed Natural Gas Buses for AMTRAN
New buses now in service
Sunday, June 17, 2018 | Categories:Amtran is moving to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) with six new buses entering service in June with another ten new CNG buses arriving in October.
Added Trip from Downtown to Ivyside Campus
Wednesday, November 1, 2017 | Categories:5:20 Flash from downtown to Penn State Altoona
Bus Service Changes
Changes to #5 Pleasant Valley, #8 Hollidaysburg, new route #9 Lakemont
Monday, March 6, 2017 | Categories:Amtran made changes to two existing bus routes (#5 Pleasant Valley and #8 Hollidaysburg) plus a new route #9 Lakemont. The changes began on April 10.
Fare Increase
Friday, April 15, 2016 | Categories:Amtran has announced plans for a fare increase. The proposal is to increase the base fare five cents per year for the next five years. The first proposed increase will take place July 1 going from $1.50 to $1.55 for a one-way adult fare. Amtran’s last fare increase was four years ago.
Local Bus Trip Planning through Google Maps
Wednesday, October 9, 2013 | Categories:AMTRAN is proud to announce transit trip planning through Google Maps™ to an already long list of technology applications to make it easier to ride the bus.
Performance Review
by Eric Wolf, General Manager
Wednesday, November 14, 2012 | Categories:Pennsylvania’s Act 44 of 2007 requires that all transit providers in the Commonwealth undergo an independent performance review every five years. PennDOT Bureau of Public Transportation personnel working with industry consultants recently completed an Act 44 Performance Review for AMTRAN.
Performance Review
by Eric Wolf, General Manager
Wednesday, November 14, 2012 | Categories:Pennsylvania’s Act 44 of 2007 requires that all transit providers in the Commonwealth undergo an independent performance review every five years. PennDOT Bureau of Public Transportation personnel working with industry consultants recently completed an Act 44 Performance Review for AMTRAN.
New bus ribbon-cutting
Thursday, October 11, 2012 | Categories:Three diesel electric hybrid buses now in service
All Day Pass for Kids - $1.00 All Summer
Friday, June 1, 2012 | Categories:AMTRAN offers an All Day Pass for $1.00 all summer for students (6-18). The program begins on June 9 and ends on September 1.
AMTRAN beta tests new fare collection system for transit industry
Monday, April 2, 2012 | Categories:AMTRAN is partnering with Avail Technologies of State College to develop a “game-changing” new fare collection system which is expected to have a significant impact on the transit industry nationwide.
Governor Corbett’s Leadership
from the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition
Friday, March 30, 2012 | Categories:Governor Tom Corbett plans to address transportation funding
Service Improvements
"You talked. We listened."
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 | Categories:AMTRAN announced plans to institute service improvements to the bus system based on customer feedback. The changes will take effect beginning June 13.
Is Political Leadership Rewarded or Ridiculed?
by Eric Wolf, General Manager
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 | Categories:A state senator in Harrisburg recently stated that gas taxes and other user fees must be increased to pay to maintain roads and bridges. He had the courage to say out loud what everyone in the state legislature already knows but is afraid to utter.
Winners in AMTRAN’s "Tell Your Story" Contest
Friday, February 4, 2011 | Categories:As the debate on transportation funding continues in Harrisburg, we asked our customers to tell us why the bus service is important to them. We received more than 100 responses.
AMTRAN wins Chamber Technology Award
Monday, October 18, 2010 | Categories:AMTRAN recently received a 2010 Technology Award from the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.
Transportation Funding Crisis
by Eric Wolf, General Manager
Tuesday, October 12, 2010 | Categories:Loretta Lynn sang, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” But if she lived in Pennsylvania, she might be singing, “Everybody wants good highways, but nobody wants to pay for them.”
Reinventing AMTRAN as the smart choice.
by Eric Wolf, General Manager
Thursday, April 8, 2010 | Categories:"AMTRAN is the smart choice. Take the bus!" It's been our slogan for almost 15 years. Now we are in the process of reinventing AMTRAN so that we really are the smart choice for our customers.
myStop by phone
Monday, January 4, 2010 | Categories:AMTRAN added a new feature to its Smart Bus Project to get real-time bus departure information to customers quickly and easily.
Smart Bus Project
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 | Categories:After years of planning and procurement, design and development, AMTRAN demonstrated its Smart Bus Project in actual use on April 15.
Energy - does anybody really care?
by Eric Wolf, AMTRAN General Manager
Wednesday, February 18, 2009 | Categories:Remember last summer when our biggest economic threat was $4.00 gas? Ah, the good old days. With $2.00 gas and a worldwide economic meltdown, the energy issue has receded, but it certainly hasn’t gone away.
Trolleyworks Business Park by AMTRAN
Wednesday, February 18, 2009 | Categories:On February 18, AMTRAN announced Phase I plans for the Trolleyworks Business Park at the site of the former Roaring River Mills.
Effective Stimulus?
by Eric Wolf, AMTRAN General Manager
Wednesday, November 26, 2008 | Categories:Among the many serious problems facing our country today, America is going to have to tackle the economic security issue of a crumbling public infrastructure. Investment in transportation in general and public transit in particular can begin to address this nation-threatening problem.
Public Transportation - The Economic Stimulus Vehicle
Opinion by Rich Farr, PPTA Chair
Friday, November 14, 2008 | Categories:A column by Rich Farr
Chair, Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association
CEO, rabbittransit, York, PA
AMTRAN adds service
Monday, August 18, 2008 | Categories:AMTRAN is adding service to some of their bus routes.
Has $4 gas increased AMTRAN’s ridership?
by Eric Wolf, AMTRAN General Manager
Monday, August 4, 2008 | Categories:From friends to elected officials to the media, everyone is constantly asking me, “With gas at $4.00 a gallon, isn't AMTRAN's ridership up?” Well it is up, but only a little, and here's why.
AMTRAN exercises option to purchase Roaring River Mills
Thursday, May 1, 2008 | Categories:AMTRAN has executed their option to purchase the Roaring River Mills property.
AMTRAN launches new website
Friday, March 14, 2008 | Categories:On March 14, AMTRAN launched a new website that is completely re-designed from the ground up.
AMTRAN options Roaring River Mills
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | Categories:On September 19, AMTRAN’s Board of Directors made an option offer on the Roaring River Mills property directly across 5th Avenue from their bus garage near Mansion Park.
"Money, Money, Money!"
by Eric Wolf, AMTRAN General Manager
Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | Categories:You may remember Norman Glucroft’s famous commercials, “Come to Roaring River Mills where you save only money. Money, Money, Money!” In line with Mr. Glucroft’s slogan, AMTRAN hopes that the Roaring River Mills property will “save only money” for the bus company.
What is a fair fare?
by Eric Wolf, AMTRAN General Manager
Monday, June 4, 2007 | Categories:There has been a lot of discussion around fare increases from the state legislature as well as from the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission. I’d like to talk a little about our new fares in Altoona.
Lindsey’s letter
Monday, March 12, 2007 | Categories:An actual letter from a young constituent to Senator John Eichelberger, Rep. Rick Geist, Rep. Jerry Stern. (Edited for length.)
Making the case for public transportation in Blair County
by Eric Wolf, General Manager
Monday, March 5, 2007 | Categories:When you work in the public sector, it’s always part of your job to justify your agency’s existence to elected officials and to taxpayers. That’s okay because public transit can make a compelling case.