County of Lackawanna Transit System

The County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS) is the operator of public transport for the city of Scranton urban area and its surrounding area of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. It began operations in 1972, largely using routes established by predecessor Scranton Transit. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 841,700, or about 2,800 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

County of Lackawanna Transit System

COLTS bus 315 operating on Route 41 on Lackawanna Av in Scranton
Headquarters	Scranton, Pennsylvania
Service area	Scranton, Pennsylvania Area
Service type	Bus, paratransit
Routes	30
Hubs	Lackawanna Transit Center (Downtown Scranton)
Daily ridership	2,800 (weekdays, Q3 2024)[1]
Annual ridership	841,700 (2023)[2]
Fuel type	CNG
Website	coltsbus.com

Routes

The COLTS system operates 36 distinct routes. Each route may operate at different times, other than weekdays. Most routes depart from the Lackawanna Transit Center on Lackawanna Avenue, near the Mall at Steamtown, in Downtown Scranton.

• 12 Jessup
• 13 Drinker/Marywood (Saturdays)
• 14 Drinker
• 18 Petersburg
• 21 East Mountain
• 25 Valley View
• 26 Hilltop
• 28 Pittston
• 29 Stauffer Industrial Park via South Main
• 31 Old Forge
• 34 Keyser Valley (Saturday)
• 35 Keyser Valley (Weekday)
• 36 Lafayette (Weekday)
• 37 Lafayette/Oram (Saturday)
• 38 Oram (Weekday)
• 41 High Works
• 43 Viewmont/Bangor
• 45 Viewmont Mall Express
• 46 Mall Circulator
• 48 Dalton/Waverly/Clarks Summit (Weekday)
• 49 Dalton/Waverly/Clarks Summit (Saturday)
• 50 Shoppers Special
• 52 Carbondale
• 53 Marywood/University of Scranton
• 54 Greenridge/Dickson City
• 71 Evening City Circle North
• 72 Evening City Circle South
• 73 Saturday Night Special (seasonal)
• 82 Simpson/Carbondale/Route 6
• 83 Newton/Ransom
• 84 Chinchilla/Clarks Green/Justus
• 96 First Friday Circulator
• 101 The Bergamino Express

Fleet

COLTS operates a mix of Gillig branded buses in the Phantom, Advantage and BRT models, in 30 and 35 foot lengths. In addition, some smaller, cutaway style vans perform service on lower patronized routes. COLTS operates a fleet of 35 buses.

Current fleet

• 2011: 4 35 ft. Gillig BRT hybrid electric buses powered by Cummins ISB6.7 (303-306)
• 2012: 9 35 ft. Gillig BRT hybrid electric buses powered by Cummins ISB6.7 (309-317)
• 2015: 5 35 ft. Gillig BRTs powered by Cummins ISL9 (318-322)
• 2018: 10 35 ft. Gillig BRT CNG buses powered by Cummins Westport L9N (323-332)
• 2019: 3 35 ft. Gillig BRT CNG buses powered by Cummins Westport L9N (333-335)
• 2023: 4 35 ft. Gillig Low Floor CNG buses powered by Cummins Westport L9N (336-339)

Connections to other agencies

COLTS bus service connects to conventional Luzerne County Transportation Authority (LCTA) bus service at West Pittston,^[3] Old Forge,^[4] and Mohegan Sun Casino.^[5][6] In addition, less frequent with LCTA meet up with COLTS buses at the Wyoming Street transfer center near the Mall at Steamtown weekdays and Saturdays.^[7]

On Lackawanna Avenue, at the Lackawanna Transit Center, COLTS service connects with Greyhound Lines,^[8] Martz Trailways,^[9] New York Trailways, and Fullington Trailways.^[10]

Criticism

Ban on religious-based content

In 2013, after NEPA Freethought Society spent 18 months attempting to advertise their group, which used the word "Atheists", COLTS denied his request, calling it, "Too controversial".^[11] After trying again with a similar advertisement, COLTS responded by revising their advertising policy to reject all forms of religion-based advertisements.^[12] As COLTS had previously allowed several churches, a political candidate, and a blog that focused on anti-Semitism, holocaust denial, and white supremacy to all run advertisements in the past, COLTS was subsequently sued, in order to remove the ban.^[13]

See also

• Luzerne County Transportation Authority

References

1. "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
2. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
3. "LCTA Route 11-West Pittston". Luzerne County Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
4. "LCTA Route 16-Old Forge". Luzerne County Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
5. "LCTA Route 1-Miner Mills". Luzerne County Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
6. "LCTA Route 5-Parsons". Luzerne County Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
7. "LCTA Route 17 Wyoming Valley-Steamtown" (PDF). Luzerne County Transportation Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
8. "Greyhound.com | Locations : States : Pennsylvania". Greyhound Lines, Inc. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
9. "Locations in Pennsylvania – Frank Martz Trailways". Frank Martz Trailways. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
10. "Harrisburg-Scranton Line Run Schedule" (PDF). Fullington Trailways. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
11. Mehta, Hemant (18 September 2013). "Least Offensive Atheist Ad Ever Leads to New Advertising Policy in Pennsylvania County". Patheos. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
12. Mehta, Hemant (19 September 2013). "This is How An Atheist Got an Entire Transit System to Ban Religious Ads". Patheos. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
13. "Atheists sue Lackawanna County transit system over refusal to run ad". Times Leader. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.

External links

• County of Lackawanna Transit System Home