Photo courtesy of Rabbit Transit.
On a sunny, early summer day, people sat, stood and waited for their bus at the Market Square Transfer Center in downtown Harrisburg.
A few people chatted, some sported headphones and a not-in-the-mood-to-talk face; others bounced and balanced kids on their laps.
Many people, like city resident Ben Simmons (yes, he gets the NBA comparison a lot), take Harrisburg’s Rabbittransit buses to get to work. The transit system “gets me where I need to go,” he said. Another resident, Luz Byron, takes the bus from N. 6th Street, near where she lives, to go grocery shopping. “I don’t have a car. I have to do it,” she explained.
One guy from Reading, Ron Sanders, has lived in Harrisburg for the past several months to take care of his father. When his car broke down, he started using the bus to get around the city and to get to and from his job. He found the system relatively easy to navigate as a city visitor.
Responses to the quality of Rabbittransit’s service varied. One man rated it a 9.5/10, saying that drivers were friendly and buses were clean and dependable. His only complaint concerned the environment around many of the bus stops—he once witnessed a fight near the transfer center, he claimed. Others had a more heated reaction to the quality question, one man stewing on the fact that his usual bus was late, as it often is.
Rabbittransit’s top officials, as well as other local leaders, are aware of the system’s challenges but also emphasize how far it’s come and where it’s headed. And they see how crucial better service is for people like Simmons, Byron, Sanders and others who depend on transit.
The organization took a hit during the pandemic, like many did. While they have bounced back somewhat, ridership has shifted. Who is riding the bus is changing. Therefore, the organization has plans in the works to make the system better for Harrisburg.
Getting in Motion
Much of Rabbittransit’s infrastructure and systems are outdated—Executive Director Rich Farr acknowledges that. Bus routes are inefficient. The downtown transfer center’s design hinders easy transfers. The organization’s home base on Cameron Street is 120 years old and showing its age.
“What we’re really looking at is modernizing our transit system,” Farr said. “Not a lot of stuff has happened for decades, and it’s time for us to get in motion.
Farr explained that Rabbittransit can start future-planning now that it has stabilized operations after a shaky past. In 2018, the company, which provides service in York and surrounding counties, started overseeing operations of Harrisburg’s system, formerly called Capital Area Transit. CAT was in debt, buses weren’t arriving at stops, and Farr’s team faced an uphill battle. In 2021, the systems officially merged to become Susquehanna Regional Transit Authority, operating as Rabbittransit (although Harrisburg buses still physically bear the name “CAT”).
“We spent a lot of time up until this point really getting our house in order, and I think we’ve arrived,” Farr said. “There are always issues. There’s always opportunity for improvement […] I think it’s now time to start looking towards the future.”
Notably, that future includes a multi-year process of demolishing and rebuilding its transit facility on Cameron Street to bring it into this century. The new facility will also be the site of the new transfer center
Currently, buses come through the Market Square transfer center, which is not big enough to accommodate more than a few vehicles at a time. Often, riders are dropped off from one bus and forced to wait for 30 minutes or a full hour until their transfer arrives, simply because there’s not enough space for both arriving and departing buses.
Shorter-term upgrades include a modernized fare payment system, which Rabbit will implement in the coming months. That will use an upgraded scanner and utilize an account-based mobile app where riders can virtually pay and keep track of fares, instead of purchasing individual tickets. Farr also noted that fares will increase by around 10 to 20 cents, as the system hasn’t hiked rates in years.
With the upgrades will come bonuses, like increased frequency of buses on the busiest routes and better synced connections.
Farr expects that improved service will mean more riders.
“People will use the service if you give it to them,” he said.
New Approach
Brad Jones of Harristown Enterprises, a major downtown landlord, has seen how the pandemic and the rise of telework have impacted his properties downtown. Workers have left office buildings, and businesses have struggled with less foot traffic. In discussions with Farr, he’s realized how that lack of workforce density has impacted Rabbittransit as well.
Jones sees how a refreshed and modernized bus system could play a role in his downtown vision, offering more amenities for his residential and commercial tenants. The system could also offer an enticing alternative to high parking fees, he noted.
“We are trying to create as many assets to walk to as possible,” he said.
Farr concurred.
“They’re converting buildings to apartments,” he said of Harristown. “We want those folks to come down their elevator, open the door, and walk out to the bus stop. If we are going to move more people downtown, then let’s give them transit service.”
That’s Rabbittransit’s focus now—getting more city residents on board buses, as they seek to rely less on state workers, which previously made up a good number of their patrons. According to Farr, the system is seeing growth post-pandemic, but is still at about 65% of its pre-pandemic ridership. He estimates that some of that 35% still missing is due to telework.
“We need to serve the folks who live here,” he said. “The growth has to be because the folks who live here are riding it, and that’s what we want.”
Statistics from 2023 show that 55% of people who use Rabbittransit’s fixed route system are going to work and 68% of riders have no other means of transportation. Over half of riders have a total household income of less than $25,000.
Tri-County Regional Planning Commission Executive Director Andrew Bomberger views transit as an important asset to a city like Harrisburg, especially for those who depend on it.
However, he sees it as one piece of the puzzle that includes other modes of transportation, such as cycling.
The regional planning commission kickstarted its Susquecycle bike share program in 2022, bringing rentable bikes to stations around the city, many located near bus stops for convenience. Each year, more and more people rent bikes, Bomberger said.
Infrastructure like this, as well as other needed improvements, will make it easier for people to access the buses, Bomberger believes.
Bomberger himself said that he takes the bus to work. He acknowledged that it can be intimidating to figure out the system the first few times riding, but now he finds it enjoyable to just hop on the bus and ride home after a long day, without having to drive.
“Just give it a try,” he said. “It’s more convenient than you think.”
Farr hopes that, through system improvements to make riding easier for residents, more people, like Bomberger, will give it a try.
“We just have to approach how we deliver transit differently,” he said. “We have to make sure we adapt to how people are living today.”
Rabbittransit’s Capital Region Facility is located at 901 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg. For more information about their facility project and other upcoming initiatives, visit www.rabbittransit.org.
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