Scranton transit penalized for inflated ridership
Photo via ShutterStock) " title="Getting on the bus" width="1" height="1"/>
(Photo via ShutterStock)
Pennsylvania’s highway department estimates the transit system in Scranton inflated senior ridership by hundreds of thousands over a five-year period and now it has to repay the state.
The Times-Tribune of Scranton reported Tuesday that the County of Lackawanna Transit System has to reimburse the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation about $6 million for the numbers that cover 2005 to 2011.
The repayment figure includes a 25 percent penalty as well as reductions in capital improvement funding.
The transit system’s executive director tells the paper he’s confident current ridership numbers are accurate.
The system may have to curtail or eliminate under-utilized bus routes as the financial penalties take effect.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
Brought to you by Keystone Crossroads
Keystone Crossroads
Exploring the stories that matter across the commonwealth with all Pennsylvanians in mind.