Mission Statement
The Luzerne County Transportation Authority (“The Authority”), through the operation of fixed route and shared ride divisions, seeks to provide high quality affordable public transportation services that are safe, reliable, useful, accessible and efficient. To this end, members of the Board of Directors and all employees shall conduct themselves in a professional manner; work to ensure the safety and security of passengers; seek new opportunities to improve and/or expand services; and coordinate public transit services with other agencies, organizations, and transit providers.
History
October 10, 1972
The Luzerne County Transportation Authority (LCTA) was created as part of a demonstration project, to aid with recovery after Hurricane Agnes.
November 1972
LCTA negotiates a purchase-of-service agreement with the area’s two private transit operators, White Transit Company and Wilkes-Barre Transit Corporation. Fares are initially set at 15¢, transfers are 5¢.
July 1, 1973
Senior Citizens begin riding LCTA buses free of charge during off-peak hours under a program sponsored by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
December 31, 1973
LCTA completed 1973 with a total of 1,750,000 miles and 4,809,000 passengers. This ridership resulted in LCTA being the third largest Transit Carrier in Pennsylvania, behind Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
February 1, 1974
LCTA accepts lead agency role for the implementation of the area’s Transportation Energy Conservation Plan.
February 22, 1974
The acquisition of Wilkes-Barre Transit, which provides 80% of bus service in the Wyoming Valley, is formally completed.
July 31, 1974
The acquisition of White Transit brings the remaining 20% of bus services under LCTA ownership.
August 1, 1974
LCTA begins post-demonstration project operations, becoming a permanent entity in the Wyoming Valley.
July 6, 2010
Routes start/end at the James F. Conahan Intermodal Transit Center.
July 2019
LCTA purchases the former Murray Complex on South Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilkes-Barre, formalizing plans for its new headquarters.
September 4, 2019
LCTA’s Board of Directors appoints Lee Horton as Interim Executive Director.
March 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to the world. Public Transit never stops, as it is an essential service.
June 2020
The free mySTOP app is unveiled, allowing passengers to track their buses in real time, find out when the next bus is coming, and plan their trips.
August 24, 2021
LCTA’s Board of Directors hires Bob Fiume as its Executive Director. Bob assumes his new role in October.
December 17, 2021
Federal, state, and local officials join LCTA for the groundbreaking of the new state-of-the-art facility on South Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilkes-Barre. The new facility will house both fixed route and shared ride divisions, and a CNG fueling station will be built on site for LCTA vehicles.
October 10, 2022
LCTA celebrates its 50th Anniversary!
January 2, 2023
LCTA offers cashless fare options with its free SmartPay app and Smart Card.