Allentown, PA (042424) — St. Luke’s University Health Network and The Bethlehem Parking Authority received Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority’s “Transit Partner Award” at its Biennial Recognition Lunch held in Easton. LANTA Executive Director Owen O’Neil noted that the award, first initiated in 2017, recognizes “efforts to facilitate and promote the use of public transportation in the Lehigh Valley.”

One Transit Partner award went to the BPA for its coordination efforts with LANTA.  The BPA has worked closely with LANTA to promote the concept of parking once and riding LANTA to all destinations in Bethlehem. BPA has been consistent in making that their new mission and involving LANTA as a key player by including cross-promotional signage for LANTA’s EBS Southside Station at the Polk Street Garage as well as the introduction of Downtown Bethlehem Shuttle services to alleviate the impacts of garage construction.  BPA’s efforts to coordinate with LANTA and utilize existing transit assets and service to meet mutual goals have led to expanded partnerships in Bethlehem including the Musikfest Shuttle Service program, a comprehensive mobility partnership between LANTA, BPA, the City of Bethlehem, and ArtsQuest to bring a network of options to this year’s festival.

Accepting the award on behalf of the BPA were Executive Director Steven Fernstrom, and the City of Bethlehem Director of Community & Economic Development, Laura Collins. “Our partnership with LANTA highlights our joint commitment to sustainable and efficient public parking and transportation in Bethlehem. Together, we aim to seamlessly integrate parking solutions with public transit for the benefit of our community. We are excited to continue our collaboration with LANTA and the City of Bethlehem to advance public transportation,” Fernstrom said.

The second Transit Partner Award was presented to St. Luke’s University Health Network. With its expansion of the St. Luke’s West End Medical Center in Lehigh County the Network worked directly with LANTA to address access to the facility as part of an expansion project completed this year. Construction of a second building on-site made bus circulation through their parking lot infeasible. To promote easy access, St Luke’s paid for the design, engineering, and construction of new sidewalks along Cetronia Road, completing a previously troublesome sidewalk gap on the corridor and continuing the new sidewalk into the St Lukes property for a comprehensive sidewalk network within the complex in South Whitehall Township. In addition, St. Luke’s installed a new bus shelter and accessible bus stop landing pad at LANTA’s new bus stop location on Cetronia Rd along the new sidewalk network.

“St. Luke’s is proud to partner with LANTA and is grateful to be recognized with LANTA’s Transit Partner Award, especially since extending access to St. Luke’s award-winning care is one of our Network’s top priorities” said Larry Goebel, Director of Engineering, Construction and Security at St. Luke’s who accepted the award on behalf of the network.  “This collaboration directly benefits St. Luke’s patients, as well as our employees, who rely on public transportation,” he added.

At the event O’Neil also touted the success of LANTA’s EBS Rapid Transit System which provides fifteen-minute service along the core of its Blue and Green Line routes.

Previous Transit Partner awardees include Amazon, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Allentown School District, the LANTA Employees, City Center, and Lehigh and Northampton Counties.

Information provided to TVL by:
Chuck Genna