The Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority, commonly referred to as PARTA, is a transit agency serving Portage County, Ohio. It is headquartered in Franklin Township just outside the Kent city limits. PARTA was formed in 1975 from an agreement between the city of Kent and Franklin Township[2] and has since expanded to include routes over much of Portage County. It operates several local routes including circulator and suburban routes in Kent, and an interurban route connecting Ravenna, Kent, and Stow. PARTA also offers express routes including services into downtown Cleveland, Akron as well as weekday service to the rural Portage County communities of Windham, Garrettsville and Hiram.[3] In addition, PARTA includes Kent State University's Campus Bus Service, which it acquired in 2004, and a dial-a-ride service. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 903,300.
 | |
| Founded | 1975 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 2000 Summit Rd. Kent, Ohio |
| Service area | Portage County, Ohio |
| Service type | Bus service, dial-a-bus |
| Routes | 6 county, 12 campus |
| Stations | Kent Central Gateway, C-Midway, Student Center |
| Fleet | 70 buses |
| Annual ridership | 903,300 (2023)[1] |
| Fuel type | Diesel, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) |
| Website | partaonline.org |
PARTA operates a fleet of Orion VII, ENC Axess, and Gillig Advantage low-floor buses. Many of the Advantages, though not all, were acquired second-hand from Canton, Ohio's SARTA and most have had their fare-boxes removed. Due to the lack of fare-boxes, some of the Advantages are restricted to the Kent State Campus Bus Service, though the others retaining their boxes also make appearances on routes 35 and 40. The Orions and Axesses are used for all other routes in addition to the Campus Bus Services.
PARTA also operates the Kent Central Gateway. Finished in July 2013, it is the only parking garage in downtown Kent. This garage houses the city's downtown transit facility (off-campus), along with storefronts and offices for rent.[4][5][6]
Routes
editLocal routes
edit- 30 Interurban West (Stow)
- 35 Interurban East (Ravenna)
- 40 Suburban North
- 45 Suburban South
- 46 Downtowner (Trolley) (Thurs, Fri & Sat after 4pm)
- 70 Windham/Garretsville
- 80 Raven (Cleveland Rd)
- 85 Raven (Prospect)
Campus routes
edit- 51 Campus Loop (Weekdays)
- 53 Reverse Loop (Weekdays 8-6) SUSPENDED
- 55 Allerton via Sports Complex (Weekdays)
- 57 Stadium Loop (breaks and Saturdays)
- 58 Summit East/Front Campus (Weekdays)
- 59 Stadium Night Loop (Mon-Thur 10p-3a Sun 4p-3a)
Express routes
edit- 90 Akron Express
- 100 Cleveland Express
Fares
editAll buses in the route 50 series (i.e. 51, 53) are fare-free to the public. All other routes and the Akron Express are $1 each way. The Cleveland Express is $5 each way. Dial-a-ride service costs $6 each way. Monthly passes are valid on all routes except for the express routes. Fare payments are accepted in cash with exact change, or through EZfare.
Connecting services
editPARTA provides connecting services with three neighboring transit authorities, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority[7] and the METRO Regional Transit Authority in Summit County. In addition, connections are possible to Greyhound, the Barons Bus Lines College Connection, the Stark Area Regional Transportation Authority (SARTA) by way of METRO's Pfaff Transit Center in Akron.[8]
Active Bus Fleet
edit| Year | Manufacturer | Model | Fleet Numbers | Engine | Transmission | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Hometown Trolley | Streetcar CNG | 6201-6203 | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R5 | ||
| 2011 | Orion International | VII EPA10 (07.502) | 8101-8105 | Cummins ISL9 | ZF 6AP1400B | ||
| 2012 | Orion International | VII EPA10 (07.502) | 8201-8208 | Cummins ISL9 | ZF 6AP1400B | ||
| 2020 | ENC | Axess BRT CNG 35' | 9001-9002 | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R5 | ||
| 2018 | ENC | Axess BRT CNG 35' | 9801-9802 | Cummins Westport ISL-G | Allison B400R5 | ||
| 2019 | ENC | Axess BRT CNG 35' | 9803-9804 | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R5 | ||
| 2021 | ENC | Axess BRT 35' | 9101-9104 | Cummins L9 | Allison B400R5 | ||
| 2023 | Gillig | Low Floor Plus CNG 35' | 9401-9403 | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R5 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "Transit Authority Created". Record-Courier. Record Publishing. 22 May 1975.
- ^ "PARTA". Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority.
- ^ "Ride Parta".
- ^ https://www.record-courier.com/news/20180430/kent-central-gateway-on-track
- ^ "Federal Transit Administration Celebrates Opening of Kent Central Gateway Transit Center, Improved Access to Transit Options in Ohio | FTA".
- ^ "Out-of-County Connections". Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.
- ^ "Barons Bus Stops and Routes – Barons Bus". baronsbus.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-14.