CamTran reinstates Prospect community loop to improve transit access in Johnstown
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — CamTran is reinstating the second loop of its Route 16 bus service which they say is a critical transit option for residents in the Prospect Community.
The service resumes Tuesday, Feb. 4, improving accessibility for Johnstown Housing Authority residents.
Reinstatement, the area's bus shelter will also reopen for public use. Riders can check updated schedules online at www.camtranbus.com/route-16-prospect or through the myStop smartphone app.
'We're committed to meeting the transportation needs of our communities, and we're pleased to bring back this important service for the residents of the Prospect Community,' Rose M. Lucey-Noll, CamTran Executive Director, said.
The decision to reinstate the loop follows feedback from riders who rely on the service for work, medical appointments, and daily errands. The additional route is expected to enhance convenience and reliability for local commuters.
For more information, contact Rose M. Lucey-Noll at 814-535-5526 ext. 201.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Roof over people's heads': Proposed cuts to HUD funding could impact local public housing programs
Editor's note: Federal Fallout is a Tribune-Democrat news series addressing the potential local impact of funding cuts. JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – President Donald Trump's proposed broad and historic cuts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's discretionary funding could, if ultimately enacted, significantly transform the nation's public housing and Section 8 rental voucher programs that approximately 20% of Johnstown residents use. Trump, in his 'skinny' budget, recommended slashing HUD's funding by approximately $33 billion, including $26.7 billion for rental assistance programs, compared to this current fiscal year. For now, it is just an outline of a spending plan that, in its text, refers to the nation's 'dysfunctional rental assistance programs,' he said. 'The skinny budget and what I've seen, it isn't enough for us trying to make any kind of guess of what to expect,' JHA Executive Director Mike Alberts said. 'It's too early. There's been no good numbers coming out of the (U.S.) Senate and House (of Representatives) yet that would give us any kind of idea of where we might see cuts in specific programs. We just haven't seen anything to give us a good idea yet.' Alberts continued: 'Really, the only thing that's going to matter in the end is the budget that they pass that is in effect for Oct. 1, which is the federal government's beginning of fiscal year.' Federal Fallout logo Regardless of what budget changes may occur, Alberts said JHA's mission will continue to be helping people 'with the basic human need of housing.' 'With things being tougher than ever with the cost of living in general, affordable housing is absolutely needed, especially in Johnstown and Cambria County, where the poverty rates are traditionally so high,' Alberts said. 'It's important work, and we really rely on those federal dollars to keep the lights on and keep a safe roof over people's heads.' 'Where things stand' JHA operates 1,504 public housing units – with 1,400 being in the city proper – that are used to assist people in poverty or economically disadvantaged conditions, the elderly, and disabled. The dwellings are almost always filled to capacity. Johnstown Housing Authority | Prospect Homes Blueprints Johnstown Housing Authority executive director Mike Alberts with original blueprints for the Prospect Homes Housing Project. Photo taken at the Johnstown Housing Authority main office in the Cambria City section of Johnstown on Monday, May 8, 2023. Meanwhile, as of the end of May, the authority had 764 of its 960 Section 8 vouchers leased up, as part of the nation's rental assistance program. JHA has left vouchers unused due to funding uncertainties. For example, Alberts pointed out that JHA was told to expect $500,000 for the program in May, but only received $460,000 when the money showed up in its account. 'We've been extremely conservative with those vouchers because we don't know where the money is and what the value is, so we've been extremely conservative,' JHA Chairman Charles Arnone said. 'We probably won't be doing any more during the summer until we know where things stand.' In total, JHA has a total budget of just under $20.3 million for fiscal year 2025. The areas of spending are: • Public housing: $8,642,000 • Section 8 landlord payments: $5,675,903 • Section 8 administration fees: $722,233 • Capital Fund: $4,673,514 • Family self-sufficiency ('On The Rise') program: $72,840 • Choice Neighborhoods grant: $500,000. Alberts said the current situation is 'business as usual' with the next budget being 'a huge question mark.' Last year, JHA was awarded a Choice Neighborhood planning grant to develop an outline for stabilizing and improving Coopersdale Homes. The 30-month process is still ongoing. Alberts said the $500,000 grant is 'completely safe.' 'That (planning grant) money's already obligated to us and that's not in any danger of being taken away,' Alberts said. 'That's not all to us yet, since we have to kind of request it as we need it, but there's no danger of that going away.' 'More state control' The Republican president's plan would transform the funding system 'into a State-based formula grant which would allow States to design their own rental assistance programs based on their unique needs and preferences. 'The Budget would also newly institute a two-year cap on rental assistance for able bodied adults, and would ensure a majority of rental assistance funding through States would go to the elderly and disabled. 'A State-based formula program would also lead to significant terminations of Federal regulations.' 'With respect to cuts to housing, one thing that I would view as a positive is it would put more state control on some of these issues,' said state Senate Majority Whip Wayne Langerholc Jr., R-Richland Township. 'I know when we exposed some of the issues within HUD in the past with the (Section 8 voucher) porting, with the wait list, with the influx of individuals from Philadelphia that could not get a voucher in that area but were coming here to Johnstown, our hands were kind of tied. 'There wasn't a lot we could do from a state perspective, as it fell on the federal government. So if that does in fact change and come back, it will give our state much more discretion in shaping that policy and ensuring that it is done appropriately, and we would be able to have an impact on a lot of those areas, specifically that porting issue and the loopholes that we exposed for residency requirements.' Langerholc said the situation is currently 'in flux.' 'It's a fluid situation,' Langerholc said. 'I know it's something that we're watching very closely at the state level, what the federal government is doing across the board as well.'

Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
JHA hosts block party; ideas sought from residents to make neighborhood improvements
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Coopersdale Homes residents came together Wednesday to share some camaraderie during the West End Block Party and to also learn more about the community's ongoing Choice Neighborhoods planning grant program. The Johnstown Housing Authority received $500,000 in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding last September to develop a plan for stabilizing and revitalizing the public housing complex and surrounding area. JHA has 30 months from the time of receiving the award to complete the plan. It is currently soliciting input from residents, city officials, nonprofits and businesses regarding what improvements could be made. 'It's important to hear from the people what they need in their units, in their neighborhood because you can't, as an outsider, tell someone else what they need, so it's just best to gather input from people,' Jaden Bennett, manager for JHA's Choice Neighborhoods project, said. Bennett has noticed some common concerns among residents. 'One thing that really stood out to us was there was mention that there isn't enough lighting for individuals that are walking to (local supermarkets) Giant Eagle or Save A Lot from Coopersdale,' Bennett said. 'There was a big emphasis on getting better lighting so that in the nighttime it's easier to see people, pedestrians that are walking to those places to get essentials. Also, transportation is a big barrier for a lot of individuals.' Shaqueena Murphy, a project ambassador and Coopersdale Homes resident, also mentioned the transportation barrier. 'We don't have any stores to go to around here,' Murphy said. 'You have to go all the way to Richland. Everybody don't have cars to travel, to get around, so it's like kind of hard to like get around to do anything.' After the authority's plan is developed, it will attempt to acquire federal money for implementation of its ideas. But even if that economic support does not materialize, JHA and the city will have an outline to use when possibly pursuing funding from other sources. 'To have that in place means really everything because now we'll know what people want and what people need,' Bennett said. 'No matter what the outcome is, we're able to better understand where some of the struggles are as a community, as a whole and really come together to create ' Dave Sutor is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Blair County crop, livestock farm to be protected from future development
BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — The development rights to 35 farms, including one in Blair County, have been purchased to help ensure that the farmland will be protected. Pennsylvania is investing nearly $10 million to make sure that over 2,600 acres of land in 18 counties will never be used for residential or commercial property. The Shapiro Administration added that these investments will make sure that farmers have quality land to continue feeding families across the state and supporting jobs. Bill to allow for Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania passes House Here is the Blair County farm that will be preserved: England Family Limited Partnership, 123-acre crop and livestock farm, Woodbury Township Total investment( $298,671): State – $209,671 and County – $89,000 'Preserving Pennsylvania farmland is an investment in the future of our economy and farm families,' Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. 'When that land is lost to development, we lose one of our most valuable economic assets.' There are over 48,000 farms in Pennsylvania, and the farming industry contributes $132.5 billion to our economy and supports almost 600,000 jobs. Since 1988, the Farmland Preservation Program has protected 6,564 farms and 654,551 acres in 58 counties from future development. You can read the full list of farms that will be preserved on the Department of Agriculture's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.