CATA Service Changes Set to Begin with New, Altered and Eliminated Routes

The Centre Area Transportation Authority will begin its fall full-service schedule on Monday, and with it comes a number of changes.

Here’s a look at what’s new, what’s changing, what’s being restored and what’s being eliminated.

High-Frequency Connector Routes

Two new connector routes operating on a 24-minute frequency will go into full service. The College Avenue and Atherton Street Connectors are designed to places like employment centers, retail destinations, restaurants and medical offices, with both including service to Downtown State College.

• The Atherton Street Connector will provide service from Colonnade Boulevard to Geisinger Scenery Park via Atherton Street, downtown State College, and S. Pugh Street, operating from approximately 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

• The College Avenue Connector will provide service between the Nittany Mall and the CATA office via College Avenue, operating from approximately 7 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Monday through Wednesday and until 2:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Between 8 and 11 p.m. and on Sundays a shortened version of the route would operate between the Nittany Mall and downtown State College.

New CATA Go Microtransit Zones

Northwest and Southwest service zones for CATA Go, the authority’s on-demand microtransit system, will be added. They will operate Monday through Friday during peak commute times (6-10 a.m. and 3-7 p.m.) and provide free transfers to the high-frequency connector routes and other bus routes and microtransit zones. The zones include the majority of the areas formerly serviced by the now-discontinued A, F, G, and S routes

• The Northwest zone will provide service in the Park Forest and Science Park areas, along with multiple destination points outside the zone, linking the zone with the Atherton Street Connector, the College Avenue Connector, the N, V and W routes. Destination points will include 1700 Old Gatesburg Road, Wegmans, Walmart (North Atherton), Giant Food Store (Northland Center), Weis Market (Martin Street), Mount Nittany Medical Center and Centre Medical Sciences Building.

• The Southwest zone will provide service in the Pine Grove Mills, Cato Park and Westerly Parkway areas, along with numerous destination points outside the zone, linking the zone with the College Avenue Connecto. Destination points will include 1700 Old Gatesburg Road, Weis Market (Westerly Parkway), CVS (South Atherton), Giant (Hills Plaza), Weis Market (Hills Plaza), SunPointe Health, Nittany Eye Associates, Centre Oral & Facial Surgery, Mount Nittany Physician Group Reconstructive & Cosmetic Surgery, Geisinger Scenery Park, Mount Nittany Medical Center and Centre Medical Science Building.

Eliminated and Altered Routes

• The P and XP routes currently serving Boalsburg will be eliminated. Service will continue to be provided via CATA Go in Boalsburg. Those traveling beyond the zone would transfer to the Atherton Street Connector in Scenery Park or along Rolling Ridge Drive.

Service to Foxdale Village will operate in one direction outbound and Mount Nittany Residences will be moved to Rolling Ridge Drive, respectively, via the Atherton Street Connector. The area currently served by the P and XP route from South Atherton Street to Scenery Park also will now be served by the Atherton Street Connector.

• The A, F, G and S routes have been discontinued and will largely be absorbed into the new Northwest and Southwest CATA Go zones.

• The M portion of the HM Route serving the Nittany Mall will be eliminated and instead will be serviced by the College Avenue Connector. The H portion serving Toftrees will become a standalone route.

Express Routes Restored

The NE, RC, VE, and WE express routes will return to operate all day with a 20-minute frequency during peak hours and 40-minute frequency during off-peak hours. The HU route will operate on a 20-minute frequency all day.

Late-Night Service Restoration

• Late-night service will be restored using NV and RP routes and a shortened version of the College Avenue Connector. Late-night service will operate 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Game Day Shuttle Returns

The downtown Game Day Shuttle will be reinstated, providing service from downtown hotels and parking garages to Beaver Stadium on Penn State football game days.

For the full list of service changes, maps and updated timetables, visit catabus.com/fall22-service.