The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority (EMTA) is currently in the process of overhauling its Board of Directors, following recent disagreements about ceasing Erie School District bussing. Ultimately, the board decided to continue the service for another year, but this disagreement prompted serious consequences for the board.  

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After weeks of heated debate, this issue came to a head at an August 27 meeting, in which the board primarily discussed whether or not to remove Lynn Schantz as executive director. During said meeting, three board members stormed out, and the rest of the board tendered their resignations, even though they did not formally resign. Additionally, Schantz explicitly resigned from his position, which he had only held since May. Following his departure, Schantz questioned the board’s perspective on his performance in stating, “I took all my direction from the chairman and followed his direction since I have been here. Apparently, other members of the board disagreed.”

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As a result of this tumultuous meeting, Mayor Joe Schember and county executive Kathy Dahlkemper requested that the remaining members of the board step down, to appoint all new members. They accepted and reviewed more than 50 applications for the nine board positions, five of which would be representatives of the City of Erie. In deciding who to hire, Dahlkemper made it known that she and Schember were, “looking for a diverse board willing to work together,” per Erie News Now.

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While most of the board members honored the mayor’s request for resignations, longtime board member Fred Rush, who initially intended to step down, recently changed his mind after careful considerations. Rush even sent a letter to Schember denying his intent to resign. In this letter, he stated “However, upon reflection, I cannot in good conscience honor that request," regarding the mayor’s request for his resignation. He also called the decision to call for mass resignations, “an overreach of executive authority.” Several other members of the board were rumored to follow in Rush’s footsteps.

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So the question remains: what does all this mean for Behrend students? According to Randy Geering, Senior Director of Business and Operations for Behrend, it really does not mean anything. Although there may be slight alterations in the service with the new board in the future, Geering noted in an interview that Behrend and the EMTA have a contract in place that will remain intact and unchanged through this process. In this contract, the EMTA provides a free campus shuttle and bussing service to downtown Erie.

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Long-term, though, the board may develop a new perspective in providing this service to students. Geering additionally stated that the Behrend shuttle and bus, “aren’t getting the anticipated number of students riding the routes.” This is particularly true for the shuttle service, as Geering’s records indicated a decline of over 20,000 in ridership between 2014 and 2016, and it could be safe to say that those numbers are even lower now.

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Regarding the situation with the EMTA itself, Geering mentioned that, “change isn’t always bad,” and that this process could help heal the divide between the city and county officials. What this means for Behrend down the road is unclear at this point, but nothing will happen to the service under the current contract.