SCRANTON -- The second tenant of the new Lackawanna Transit Center in Scranton set up shop Wednesday. People looking to take a Martz bus out-of-town will now use the new facility.
Mike Brown of Scranton likes to travel, so he spends a lot of time sitting in bus stations surrounded by his suitcases. But when he returned home Wednesday his Martz coach bus pulled into a different station.
"I was actually surprised because the last time I left it was over there," Brown said.
Martz Bus moved into the new Lackawanna Transit Center in Scranton, also home to the County of Lackawanna Transit System. This has been the Transit Center's first week receiving county and coach buses.
"I think it's wonderful because in Massachusetts we did have a terminal and now waiting here to see this in Pennsylvania I see this is absolutely beautiful," said Gale Jordan of Clarks Summit.
The State Office Building in Scranton gave up its employee parking lot to make way for the new Lackawanna Transit Center, so Martz sold its old building across Lackawanna Avenue back to the state. Martz officials expect the old building will be torn down before the end of the month.
"If you just look across the street, compared to here, this is a beautiful facility. It's been 15 years in the making and it seems to be very operational for COLTS and for Martz," said Martz official Ted Patton.
Patton showed Newswatch 16 around the offices Martz will share with COLTS in the new facility. He said the new location will not change Martz service, 54 coach buses will still come and go from Scranton each day, but the new transit center may mean more customers.
"If you make it more comfortable for customers you should get a little more of them," Patton said.
