A recently introduced Centre Area Transportation Authority service providing access from the Centre Region to county government buildings in Bellefonte will be available for more hours starting Monday, July 29.
Service from State College to the Willowbank Building and the Centre County Courthouse will now be offered from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., an increase of five hours per day. It previously had operated 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. since its launch on July 1.
Trips are available from anywhere in the Centre Region service area but must be booked the prior business day by calling the CATARide scheduling line at (814) 238-6100. Fares are $2.20, the same as CATA Bus and CATAGo.
CATA introduced the service as one measure to help alleviate the impacts of a drastic change in public transit for the Bellefonte area.
The authority had sought substantial contribution increases from Bellefonte, Benner Township and Spring Township to close operating deficits for their contracted services. CATA officials said the authority, which was chartered by and has primary responsibility to State College and College, Ferguson, Harris and Patton townships, is not legally permitted to run deficits for contracted services.
Spring Township withdrew from CATA as of July 1. Bellefonte and Benner Township officials, who said they could not provide more funding, both voted to end their municipalities’ contracts with CATA after June 30, 2025, though CATA Executive Director Rishel indicated in late June that talks are still ongoing.
With the funding shortfall unresolved, the on-demand CATAGo and paratransit CATARide services in Bellefonte and Benner Township ended on June 30. To provide some level of public transit in and to the Bellefonte area for at least the next year, CATA introduced two new services.
In addition to the service to Willowbank and the courthouse, CATA also launched the B-Line, a point-to-point available only from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Riders are required to schedule their trips one business day in advance by phone and fares are $4, cash only, with no tokens or passes accepted.
The B-Line has 20 designated pick-up and drop-off points in Bellefonte and Benner Township, and has a stop at the Nittany Mall to connect to the CATA Bus CC fixed route or CATAGo. Free transfers are available to CATA Bus, but not CATAGo
