Mar. 23—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — There was good news and bad news at Friday's Cambria County Transit Authority meeting.
The presentation of PennDOT's annual performance review showed that CamTran has rebounded well following the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the same time, there was still no word on when restoration work will resume at the Johnstown Inclined Plane, CamTran Executive Director Rose Lucey-Noll said.
CamTran's fixed-route buses completed 679,582 passenger-trips during the 12 months that ended in September. While that's about a 59% drop from 1.2 million trips pre-pandemic, it's better than many similar-sized transit organizations, PennDOT noted.
The fixed-route buses were on schedule 90% of the time.
Reserve-a-ride paratransit vehicles made 31,895 trips and were on time 95% of the time.
The review team commended CamTran for:
—Ensuring customers had access to transportation for essential shopping and guaranteed trips to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Partnering with the city of Johnstown to develop a successful Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant application that secured $24 million in federal funds.
—Securing financial commitments for continued local match support amid the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Suggestions from the state included:
—Conduct more customer satisfaction surveys.
—Continue pursuing advertising agreements to diversify revenue.
—Monitor parts turnover and dispose of unused inventory.
—Conduct a market rate analysis to determine the appropriate price point for current and potential future leasable spaces.
—Develop a strategic plan.
A total of 98% of fixed-route customers were satisfied with the service and 33% ride almost every day.
CamTran's financial impact includes $11 million spent doing business with Pennsylvania companies and $3 million in operator salaries.
The Inclined Plane has not operated since fall 2020 due to the $15 million restoration project. Reopening was originally planned for the spring of 2023, but was delayed by problems finding or creating replacement parts for the 19th-century technology.
In November, crews discovered an issue that shut down work for the safety of employees, and efforts to identify and fix the problem were unsuccessful.
Last month, the authority hired Conroy Engineering Co. to investigate and recommend action. The company has worked on Pittsburgh's hillside inclines in recent years.
Lucey-Noll said she cannot predict when the funicular will begin carrying passengers.
"It's still being reviewed," she said Friday.
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