LANTA asks Northampton County for $701,007 match; warns of possible 20% service cut and fare increases without state stabilization funds

Owen O'Neil, executive director of Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA), told Northampton County Council the authority requests a county contribution of $701,007.27 for the coming fiscal year. He said the largest portion of the request—approximately $644,000—represents Northampton County's share of a required match for the state operating assistance grant under Act 89; the remainder (about $57,000) is the county share of capital grant matches.

O'Neil told the council LANTA is awaiting a potential allocation of stabilization funds from PennDOT; if those funds are not awarded, the authority is preparing for significant service reductions. “We are starting to prepare for a pretty significant service cut in January. That could be as much as 20% of our service,” he said, adding that SEPTA and Pittsburgh Regional Transit received similar stabilization awards. He also announced planned fare increases—the first LANTA fare increase since 2014 for regular bus service and the first shared-ride increase since 2019—if revenues do not stabilize.

O'Neil described how the county-level contribution is calculated under LANTA's charter: the county's share is tied to the percentage of service operating in each county. He said Northampton County accounts for about 43% of required matches in the operating grant formula. O'Neil said LANTA used COVID relief and reserves to postpone cuts in prior years but those reserves are being drawn down.

Councilors asked whether the operating-match ask is large relative to LANTA's total budget; O'Neil said LANTA's operating grant this fiscal year is roughly $26 million, and the county match request is a relatively small share of the total but required for the federal/state funding that supports daily operations. Council members also asked about possible service changes affecting the Slate Belt and northern routes if cuts are implemented; O'Neil said LANTA would try to avoid fully eliminating lifeline services but could reduce frequency.

Clarifying details: Total county request $701,007.27; operating-match portion about $644,000 (Northampton share, roughly 43% of the match) and capital-match portion roughly $57,000. LANTA's full operating grant is roughly $26 million for the current fiscal year. Potential service cuts could take effect in January if stabilization funds are not awarded.

Next steps: Councilors asked for clarification and noted the county's relatively small portion of the operating budget; staff requested follow-up data about specific routes and the impact of proposed cuts.