Where CAT Goes,

Community Grows
Annual Report 2014

a message
From CAT Leadership
Chairmans Note
Welcome to Capital Area Transits 2013-2014 Annual Report.
The Board of Directors representing Cumberland and Dauphin
Counties and the City of Harrisburg has adopted a Three-Year
Strategic Plan now in its second year of implementation by new
management. The plan is sweeping and includes financial, operational
and planning technologies which, when fully implemented in
2015, will make CAT one of the most efficient transit operations
in Pennsylvania.

Eric Bugaile, chairman

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: (Front row left to right) Lenora Smith, Esq., Treasurer (City
of Harrisburg); Eric Bugaile, Chair (Dauphin County); Don Geistwhite, Vice Chair
(Cumberland County); (Back row left to right) Rick Rovegno, Assistant Treasurer
(Cumberland County); Elizabeth Benion (Dauphin County); Kathy Possinger (City of
Harrisburg); Todd Pagliarulo, Secretary (Dauphin County)

General Managers Note

Following a transition to new management in 2012, CAT has
been building professional staff in every sector of operations, from
financial reorganization to daily operations and maintenance, to
planning, community interaction, customer experience and public
information. In keeping with CATs Strategic Plan 2013-2016, our
team is systematically building a state-of-the-art transit operation
in Pennsylvanias Capital Region. CAT is a vital economic engine in
Cumberland and Dauphin Counties and in the City of Harrisburg.
Where CAT goes, community grows.
CAT EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM: (left to right) Randy Lease, Director of
Finance; Bob Philbin, Director of Planning, Customer Experience & Public Information;
Bill Jones, General Manager; Tom Young, Assistant General Manager

Bill Jones, general manager

Mission Statement
Capital Area Transit improves the quality of life in Central Pennsylvania by providing comprehensive public transportation
services, by meeting customer expectations, by achieving regional smart growth and mobility objectives, by being
responsible stewards of public resources, and by supporting a professional, dedicated workforce.

Capital Area Transit

2014 Highlights
 CAT established a new Department of Planning, Customer
Experience & Public Information to structure the planning,
customer service and public outreach, in accordance with the
Strategic Plan and the highest service standards, as well as to
insure Title VI and Environmental Justice compliance.
 CAT implemented CAT-Connects, an ongoing series of public
meetings to assure input into CATs planning and decision
making process. CAT has issued close to 1,000 Senior ID free
ride passes in the last six months, and senior ridership has
increased by more than 14,500 seniors, about a 7.1% increase
over the previous year.
 Working closely with the public, PennDOT, and local stakeholders,
CAT has introduced a three-year test circulator transit service
in the Borough of Carlisle in Cumberland County. Ridership
has steadily increased and public education, information and
outreach is on-going.
 CAT designed and implemented detour service to accommodate
the closing of the Mulberry St. Bridge for repairs in the City of
Harrisburg. Ridership surveys indicate a customer satisfaction
level of more than 85% on affected routes.
 CAT instituted Route 17 in compliance with Title VI and
Environmental Justice to assure access to Hamilton Health
Center, a federal health care facility located in Harrisburg, from
anywhere in the CAT service area.

 CAT introduced bi-lingual public schedules and on-board

information pamphlets in 2014. A Google APP permits
translation of CATs website into multiple languages.
 In conjunction with PennDOT, local municipalities and PSU,
CAT is participating in a study to provide circulator service in
Southeastern Dauphin County to include expanded service to the
Harrisburg International Airport, Middletown, Hummelstown, and
greater Hershey area.
 CAT instituted advanced transit technology to include Schedule
Master and Syncro-Matic software tracking systems which will
provide real time transit data.
 In keeping with the 2013-16 Strategic Plan, CAT upgraded staff
training in all departments.
 CAT works closely with the Pennsylvania Public Transportation
Association and the American Public Transportation Association
to ensure continual improvement in regional transportation.
 Working with the City of Harrisburg and a variety of bike
organizations, CAT has taken steps to increase Bike Ridership
throughout the system. Since CATs Bike & Bus program was
implemented last year, 10,601 bicycles have ridden CAT buses.

2013-2014
Financial Overview
Local
State
Fares

Working closely with community

and regional leadership, as well as
PennDOT and local funding partners, we
are renovating CAT transit services to
enhance the economic, social, and natural
environment of the vibrant capital region.
- Lenora Smith, Esq., board treasurer

CAT Funding
Source By %

Since its inception in 1973, Capital Area

Transit has been funded by federal and
state agencies with local share funding
provided by Cumberland County, Dauphin
County and the City of Harrisburg to
advance the transit needs of the 500,000

Other Operating .49%

Human Services
Agencies

Federal

residents of the Capital Area Region.

- Todd Pagliarulo, board secretary

Serving a diverse, robust region

CAT operates a diverse, dynamic and mobile service area,
covering 1,000 square miles and a population of about
500,000 in two counties, and the state Capital, Harrisburg.
The service area encompasses urban, suburban and rural
routes including Shippensburg and Carlisle, local service and
express service to Harrisburg.

Elizabethville

Dauphin
County

CATs 81 Fixed Route buses and 52 Paratransit vans serve about

10,000 riders a day, almost 3 million riders per year, making CAT
one of the largest transit authorities in Pennsylvania.

In 2013-14, we instituted a series of innovative

initiatives to enhance service, improve efficiency
and expand public communication and engagement
throughout CATs service area.
- Elizabeth Benion, board member

Cumberland
County Carlisle

Shippensburg

Harrisburg
Hershey
New Cumberland

CAT
By the Numbers
Rider Satisfaction Survey**

95.05%
Bus cleanliness

85.71%

Driver helpfulness

98.37%

92.27%

Driver politeness

Ridership*

Satisfaction
with routes

Vehicle miles traveled*

Fixed Route

2,674,422
Paratransit

191,350

Fixed Route

1,968,202
Paratransit

1,573,428

CAT enjoys an extremely

high customer satisfaction
rating throughout the
capital region service area.
- Don Geistwhite
board vice chair

By listening to suggestions
from our customers, CAT has
implemented crucial service
to Hamilton Health Center
via the new Route 17 in
Harrisburg; providing muchneeded access to this federal
health care facility.
- Kathy Possinger

*For year ending 6/30/14

board member

Where CAT goes, community grows

As CATs Board of Directors and Management Team look to the future, 2015 will see a complete renovation in the way
CAT operates. New operational and planning software, improved training, innovative routing which accommodates
growth trends and community development, as well as operational innovations and efficiencies, will provide excellent
public transportation services to the commuting and general transit publics in the greater Capital Region.
- Rick Rovegno, board assistant treasurer

**Total responses 187

10 routes on West Shore

Capital Area Transit | 901 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101 | 717-238-8304 | cattransit.com |