By MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER

marcie@bradfordera.com

The new Area Transportation Authority facility in Bradford is tentatively slated for completion by the end of this

year. On Tuesday, CEO Mark Head spoke to The Era about the multimodal transportation center under construction on Congress and East Corydon streets in Bradford.

‘That’s a project that’s been many years in the making,’ he said, adding it predates his tenure with the company, which began in 2021. The Era had written about the facility in the planning stages back in 2017.

‘We finally got it going,’ he said. The project is constructing a one-story facility including an adjacent parking lot, concrete bus way and other site improvements. ‘It’s a multimodal transit facility that will allow interstate and intercity buses to come in and come out. It will greatly enhance the mobility of the region.’

Nick Cummins, project manager with Bob Cummins Construction Co., general contractor on the project, said it’s a 2,000 square foot bus depot with access on Congress and East Corydon streets.

‘It’s like a bus stop, with a waiting area inside,’ he said. ‘It’s a small building with a big driveway around it. It’s a pretty elaborate building. It’s got all heated sidewalks.’

He added, ‘There’s going to be part of it that’s going to be available for rent, maybe they will put a store in there.’

The plan is to be open in early 2026. Cummins

ATA… page A-8

A rendering of Area Transportation Authority’s new multimodal transportation center on Congress and East Corydon streets in Bradford, adjacent to the Friendship Table.

illustration courtesy of ATA is the general contractor, Pure Tech is the electrical contractor and W.T. Spaeder of Erie is the plumbing and mechanical contractor.

There are terminals currently in Punxsutawney and St. Marys. Currently in Bradford, there is an office and a garage. Head explained this facility will be an actual bus terminal, “where another bus could pull in and drop people off. This also provides our drivers with the ability to come in and take a break. I think this terminal is an awesome thing for the community.”

Plans call for an “L” shaped terminal, which can be used by Fullington as well, Head explained. “Interstate and intercity buses will be able to stop and drop people off,” he reiterated.

“A terminal will give us an opportunity to better enhance our ability in the region,” he said. “We can have transfers easily. It’s a great meeting point.”

Head continued, “We’re currently looking at every route.”

There are fixed routes in Bradford, community connector routes from Bradford to Kane and Bradford to Smethport, shared rides and rides available between Bradford Regional Medical Center and Olean (N.Y.) General Hospital.

“We do surveys to see where there’s ridership,” he explained.

Fixed routes are just that — ones that are the same every day, with schedules available online at rideata.com.

“It’s a circular fixed route loop,” Head said. “It’s the most economical to ride.”

Shared rides are scheduled with ATA, when someone might need a ride from their home to a specific destination, like the hospital. More information about arranging those is available online as well.

The hospital route has been in place since many services moved to Olean, he explained.

“We have the ability to take people to Olean,” he said, adding that ATA reached out to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for special permission to add that run.

“Bradford’s like every other community. With the centralization of services, we’re all traveling further for the services we used to get down the street,” he said. “We’re looking at everything we can do to help.”

ATA worked with Olean and Bradford hospitals to make the arrangements for the run, but Head acknowledged that it isn’t well known that it’s an option.

“We need to get the word out and this is what you can do,” he said. “That’s one thing we’re trying to do, we’re trying to educate the population on how we provide transit.”

This project is already making a difference in the local economy, with two local contractors employed on construction and a third making use of local food and lodging.

And Head explained that enhancing the mobility in the region will surely enhance opportunities for work as well.

“It’s going to be a positive thing for the City of Bradford,” he said.