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Bieber drops Reading-Harrisburg service.

 
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JimmiB



Age: 81
Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 516
Location: Lebanon, PA

PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 6:48 pm    Post subject: Bieber drops Reading-Harrisburg service. Reply with quote

An article in today's Lebanon (PA) Daily News states that next week the Reading-Lebanon-Harrisburg line run will be discontinued. This run dates back to the days of Reading Trailways, then Capital Trailways.

The article says that Reading's BARTA and Lebanon's LT (Lebanon Transit, formerly COLT) are working to set up a link to cover some of that service area. BARTA already has a run to Womelsdorf near the county line. The plan is to run 3 of the Womeldorf buses into Lebanon to the LT transfer station and for LT to run a couple of buses into Womelsdorf. The two transit authorities are trying to set a schedule for minimum waiting time to transfer. Quite a few of Bieber's riders were headed for the Lebanon VA Hospital and to Hershey Medical Center, both of which are served by LT buses. LT also has a commuter run to Harrisburg.

BARTA Executive Director, Dennis Louwerse said this service would be operated till the end of the year to see what kind of ridership it gets. During that time the two authorities would work on setting up a regular schedule if needed.
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traildriver




Joined: 26 Mar 2011
Posts: 2438
Location: South Florida

PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 7:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What about their other ex Capitol routes.....I cannot find them on Bieber's web site, other than Philly to Pottsvillle, and we no longer get the Official Bus Guide....just curious.....
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JimmiB



Age: 81
Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 516
Location: Lebanon, PA

PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 10:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Apparently this is the only run they are dropping. Here is a statement published in the Reading Eagle...

Bieber Tourways will discontinue its bus route between Reading, Lebanon and Harrisburg July 1.

Steve Haddad, owner of Carl R. Bieber Inc., parent company to Bieber Tourways, said the cancellation is because of lack of ridership.

The elimination will not affect employment at Bieber. He said drivers and equipment will be reassigned.

Haddad said Bieber is subsidized to run the route by the state, which also subsidizes transit authorities in Reading, Lebanon and Harrisburg.

Seeing the duplication in services, Haddad said, Bieber bowed out.

Funny that when I drove for County of Lebanon Transit we had started two new routes, one to Myerstown and Newmanstown and one to Palmyra. On both of these routes we were not allowed to use Rt. 422 once outside the City of Lebanon. Capital Trailways claimed exclusive rights on the road and the PUC agreed. We had to run back roads to get to the destinations. There is a PA PUC regulation that states that transit authorities may not compete with private operators without their permission.
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rsauer



Age: 84
Joined: 20 Jun 2013
Posts: 3
Location: Arlington, VA

PostPosted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yesterday BARTA announced that in conjunction with Lebanon Transit bus service will be resumed between Reading and Lebanon in September. A couple months ago Bieber Tourways had discontinued service between Reading and Harrisburg. BARTA will operate three round trips from Reading to Lebanon. Lebanon Transit will operate three round trips between Lebanon and Womelsdorf, where connections can be made with BARTA Route 14 at the McDonald's. One of the three eastbound trips will start in Harrisburg and run through to Womelsdorf. Reading Street Railway used to own Lebanon Coach. See my article in the January, 1969 issue of Motor Coach AGe.
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JimmiB



Age: 81
Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 516
Location: Lebanon, PA

PostPosted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 12:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for that update.
Also, as the last manager of Lebanon Coach (maybe that means that I wasn't too good) I will have to look for the article you wrote.
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