Mileidy Class depends on the bus to get from her Bethlehem home to Northampton Community College in time for her courses. She’s currently taking general education classes, but aspires to be a veterinarian technician.
If she misses her LANTA bus, the wait for the next one could be several hours. It’s the same for the return trip. She is working on getting her driver’s license and doesn’t always have access to a ride from a relative or friend.
“There’s only two buses that go there,” she said. “It seems like a common problem a lot of people are having is the long wait times. The gaps are unbelievably long.”
Potential schedule changes to the Lehigh Valley’s transit system could mean an even more complicated trip.
LANTA’s Owen O’Neil, executive director, speaks during a public hearing hosted by LANTA on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Bethlehem concerning upcoming service changes. The transit agency is proposing changes on 21 routes, including cutbacks on frequency of service. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Purposed canceled Trips are highlighted in red are shown during a public hearing hosted by LANTA on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Bethlehem concerning upcoming service changes. The transit agency is proposing changes on 21 routes, including cutbacks on frequency of service. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Purposed canceled Trips highlighted in red are shown during a public hearing hosted by LANTA on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Bethlehem concerning upcoming service changes. The transit agency is proposing changes on 21 routes, including cutbacks on frequency of service. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
LANTA’s director of planning and scheduling AJ Knee speaks during a public hearing hosted by LANTA on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Bethlehem concerning upcoming service changes. The transit agency is proposing changes on 21 routes, including cutbacks on frequency of service. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
LANTA’s director of planning and scheduling AJ Knee speaks during a public hearing hosted by LANTA on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Bethlehem concerning upcoming service changes. The transit agency is proposing changes on 21 routes, including cutbacks on frequency of service. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Purposed added Trips are highlighted in green are shown during a public hearing hosted by LANTA on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Bethlehem concerning upcoming service changes. The transit agency is proposing changes on 21 routes, including cutbacks on frequency of service. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Purposed canceled Trips are highlighted in red are shown during a public hearing hosted by LANTA on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Bethlehem concerning upcoming service changes. The transit agency is proposing changes on 21 routes, including cutbacks on frequency of service. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Luis Soltero Bodden of Bethlehem asks about a bus stop closer to Wind Creek Casino as he attends a public hearing hosted by LANTA on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Bethlehem concerning upcoming service changes. The transit agency is proposing changes on 21 routes, including cutbacks on frequency of service.
(April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
James Yoder of Allentown who relies on riding the bus to go to work asks questions during a public hearing hosted by LANTA on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Bethlehem concerning upcoming service changes. The transit agency is proposing changes on 21 routes, including cutbacks on frequency of service. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
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LANTA’s Owen O’Neil, executive director, speaks during a public hearing hosted by LANTA on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Bethlehem concerning upcoming service changes. The transit agency is proposing changes on 21 routes, including cutbacks on frequency of service. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
That’s why Class and her mother, Maggie, came out on a rainy Wednesday night to attend a public meeting hosted by LANTA to comment about upcoming service changes.
A group of 14 were at the Bethlehem Transit Center on West Broad Street, while another 47 attended virtually. A.J. Knee, LANTA’s director of planning and scheduling, answered about three dozen questions from audience members, who like Class were concerned about how the revised schedule would affect their ability to get to work, school or medical appointments.
Changes are being proposed on 24 routes, which may have cutbacks on frequency of service. It’s about a 7% reduction of the system, and the changes are listed on LANTA’s website. Also included are minor alignment changes in Bethlehem. Twenty-one routes will see no changes
LANTA will post the final changes May 11, and they will go into effect June 15. This will be in addition to emergency service cuts that were implemented in January and fare increases in March.
Executive Director Owen O’Neil said additional funding during the COVID pandemic to boost service has dried up. State funding has not increased. Public transit money, especially for the systems in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas, became a major sticking point in last year’s state budget negotiations.
“After a new transit funding legislation did not pass in 2025, LANTA began implementing a two-year financial stabilization plan,” O’Neil said. “The primary element of that plan involves the gradual right sizing of the fixed route service level to be consistent with what we see as the feasible level of funding going forward.”
O’Neil noted that without this gradual stabilization plan, the authority would have faced cuts of up to 40% to balance the budget.
The current 7% reduction specifically targets “low-productivity” trips — primarily early morning and late-night runs — to preserve the core coverage and frequency of the routes during peak hours.
“We’re looking at span reductions on lower productivity service, which means the routes where fewer people are riding,” Knee said. “We know that people riding those routes need to get where they’re trying to go, but we just want to make sure we’re impacting the fewest number of people as possible.”
One route that will be cut back is the 217 that runs from William Penn Park and Ride in Bethlehem Township to the Slate Belt, with Saturday service being canceled.
One rider said Wednesday he depends on that to get to a restaurant job in Wind Gap, and works on the weekends.
“I rely on that bus for work,” he said. “I would be forced to find another job, and if I have to find another job, I need to find two jobs to replace it. The reason why I still work in Wind Gap is they give me the hours I need. If I lose those hours, I’m stuck.”
Northampton County Council Member Jason Boulette said the Slate Belt and other areas outside the core Lehigh Valley cities are facing unequal cuts.
“I would just urge some reconsideration of some of these drastic changes here,” Boulette said. “These are areas that are going to be disproportionately impacted because you’re looking at a population that’s older, at a population that has a higher poverty level, and that has fewer transit options. You cut off the service, they don’t have anything else.”
Below is a list of the proposed changes:
Route 101
• Weekdays: Two trips to Spillman Loop canceled: 10:18 p.m., 11:18 p.m.; two trips to Jefferson at Lehigh canceled: 9:25 p.m., 10:25 p.m.
Route 102
• Weekdays: Two trips to Wind Creek casino canceled: 8:50 a.m., 9:50 p.m.; two trips to LVH-Cedar Crest canceled: 10:05 p.m., 12:05 a.m.
• Saturdays and Sundays: Two trips to Wind Creek casino canceled: 9:20 a.m., 10:50 p.m.; one trip to LVH-Cedar Crest canceled: 10:35 p.m.
Route 103
• Weekdays and Saturdays: Three trips to Cherryville canceled: 6:08 a.m., 7:08 p.m., 9:08 p.m.; three trips to Lehigh Valley International Airport canceled: 5:05 a.m., 8:05 p.m., 10:05 p.m.
Route 104
• Weekdays and Saturdays: Two trips to ATC – Allentown canceled: 7:58 p.m., 9:28 p.m.; two trips to Emmaus 8:45 p.m., 10:15 p.m.
• Sundays: One trip to ATC – Allentown canceled: 4:58 p.m.; one trip to Weis Emmaus canceled: 5:45 p.m.
Route 105
• Weekdays and Saturdays: One trip to Lehigh Valley International Airport canceled: 9:05 p.m.; two trips to Hellertown canceled: 8:10 p.m., 10:10 p.m.
• Sundays: One trip to Lehigh Valley International Airport canceled: 5:05 p.m.; one trip to Hellertown canceled: 6:10 p.m.
Route 106
• Weekdays and Saturdays: One trip to Van Buren Loop canceled: 9:50 p.m.; one trip to Forks Plaza canceled: 8:47 p.m.
• Sundays: One trip to Van Buren Loop canceled: 8:20 a.m.; one trip to Forks Plaza canceled: 9:17 a.m.
Route 107
• Weekdays and Saturdays: Three trips to BTC – Bethlehem canceled: 4:05 a.m., 9:45 p.m., 10:45 p.m.; two trips to Fairgrounds canceled: 4:35 a.m., 11:05 p.m.; one trip to Village West canceled: 10:05 p.m.
• Sundays: Two trips to BTC – Bethlehem canceled: 4 a.m., 9:20 p.m.; two trips to ATC – Allentown canceled: 4:20 a.m., 9:50 p.m.
Route 108
• Weekdays and Saturdays: Two trips to Bethlehem Square canceled: 8:08 p.m., 9:38 p.m.; one trip to Fountain Hill canceled: 9 p.m.
Route 209
• Weekdays: One trip to Parkway Shopping Center canceled: 8:35 p.m.; one trip to Crest Plaza canceled: 8 p.m.
• Saturdays: Two trips to Parkway Shopping Center canceled: 6:15 a.m., 8:35 p.m.; two trips to Crest Plaza canceled: 5:40 a.m., 8 p.m.
Route 210
• Weekdays and Saturdays: One trip to Whitehall Central canceled: 5:30 a.m.; three trips to Whitehall Central added: 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m.; three trips to South Mall added: 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m, 9:30 p.m.
• Sunday Service added: Four trips to Whitehall Central: 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m.; four trips to South Mall: 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m.
Route 211
• Weekdays: Two trips to Whitehall Zephyr Stadium canceled: 6 a.m., 8 p.m.; two trips to ATC – Allentown canceled: 7:01 a.m., 9:09 p.m.
• Saturdays: Two trips to Whitehall Zephyr Stadium canceled: 6 a.m., 8 p.m.; two trips to ATC – Allentown canceled: 7:09 a.m., 9:09 p.m.
Route 214
• Saturdays: All service canceled
Route 217
• Saturdays: All service canceled
Route 218
• Weekdays: Two trips to ATC – Allentown canceled: 9:21 a.m., 11:26 a.m.; two trips to Fogelsville canceled: 10:20 a.m., 12:20 p.m.
• Saturdays: Two trips to ATC – Allentown canceled: 9:26 a.m., 12:26 p.m.; two trips to Fogelsville canceled: 9:50 a.m., 2:20 p.m.
Route 220
• Weekdays: Two trips to EITC – Easton canceled: 4:42 a.m., 7:42 p.m.; two trips to BTC – Bethlehem canceled: 5:40 a.m., 6:40 p.m.
• Saturdays: One trip to EITC – Easton canceled: 4:42 a.m.; two trips to BTC – Bethlehem: 5:40 a.m., 6:40 p.m.
Route 312
• Weekdays: One trip to Bethlehem Square canceled: 10:00 p.m.; one trip to BTC – Bethlehem canceled: 10:57 p.m.
Route 322
• Saturdays: All service canceled
Route 324
• Weekdays and Saturdays: One trip to Stefko and Broad canceled: 6 p.m.; eight trips to adjusted to end at BTC – Bethlehem: 6 a.m., 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m.; one trip to ATC – Allentown canceled: 6:05 p.m. night trips adjusted to begin at BTC – Bethlehem: 6:05 a.m., 7:05 a.m., 8:05 a.m., 11:05 a.m., 12:05 p.m., 3:05 p.m., 4:05 p.m., 5:05 p.m.
Route 327
• Weekdays: Two trips to Bethlehem Square canceled: 7:30 p.m., 9 p.m.; two trips to BTC – Bethlehem canceled: 8:05 p.m., 9:35 p.m.
Route 605
• Weekdays and Saturdays: One trip canceled: 10 p.m.
Route 606
• Weekdays and Saturdays: One trip Southside via Packer canceled: 9:02 p.m.; one trip Southside via Centre canceled: 9:32 p.m.
Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.