AmTran
AMTRAN (Altoona Metro Transit) is a public transportation authority serving Blair County, Pennsylvania, operating 13 fixed bus routes, 8 tripper routes, and ADA paratransit service for approximately 500,000 annual riders, including Penn State Altoona students, working adults, seniors, and people with disabilities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1958
- HeadquartersConway, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What AmTran does
AMTRAN (Altoona Metro Transit) is a public transportation authority serving Blair County, Pennsylvania, created on May 27, 1958 by the City of Altoona and Logan Township as the first such authority in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The authority provides fixed-route bus service (13 routes operating Monday–Saturday), 8 tripper routes for schools and colleges, and ADA-mandated paratransit service coordinated through Blair Senior Services. AMTRAN serves approximately 444,716 annual riders (FY2023) across a 25-square-mile service area with a population of ~69,500, with primary customer segments being working adults, seniors, people with disabilities, and Penn State Altoona students.
The technology backbone is the Smart Bus platform, developed with Avail Technologies of State College, which includes GPS tracking on every bus, the myStop real-time departure information system (delivered via smartphone app, phone, SMS, QR codes, and a web portal), automatic passenger counting on all vehicles, and automated ADA-compliant onboard bus stop announcements. A proximity smart card fare collection system called myFare was beta-tested in 2012, and trip planning is integrated with Google Maps/Google Transit. The fleet consists of 27 vehicles: 23 Gillig low-floor CNG buses (16 from 2018, 7 from 2021), 3 diesel-electric hybrid Gillig buses (2012), and 1 Ford Transit Van (2021).
AMTRAN's revenue model is a hybrid of public transit fare revenue (covering less than 30% of operating expenses per one-way adult fare of $1.75) and government funding (FTA grants, PennDOT state subsidies, and contributions from Altoona, Logan Township, Hollidaysburg, and Blair County). The authority also generates supplementary real estate income through the Trolleyworks Business Park, a renovated office/flex space complex at 3316 Fifth Avenue with three leased suites, operating under the FTA Joint Development Program. Operating budget for the year ending June 30, 2023 was $5,934,451 with a workforce of 49 employees.
AmTran firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AmTran
- Legal name
- Altoona Metro Transit (AMTRAN)
- Website
- https://amtran.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1958
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- AMTRAN (Altoona Metro Transit) is a public transportation authority serving Blair County, Pennsylvania, operating 13 fixed bus routes, 8 tripper routes, and ADA paratransit service for approximately 500,000 annual riders, including Penn State Altoona students, working adults, seniors, and people with disabilities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AmTran industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Transit Services
- NAICS
- Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Special Needs Transportation (485991)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Municipal/Transit-Agency Microtransit (First/Last-Mile Feeders) (TLAFAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- ADA/Accessible Paratransit (Complementary to Fixed-Route Transit) (THAIAHAA)
Keywords
Where AmTran is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Conway
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
AmTran business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Public Transit Fare Revenue: AMTRAN generates fare revenue from passengers using fixed-route bus services and ADA paratransit services. Less than 30% of operating expenses are covered through farebox revenue.
- Federal and State Government Funding: Primary funding from Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grants, PennDOT state funding, and local government contributions from Altoona, Logan Township, Hollidaysburg, and Blair County.
- Real Estate Lease Revenue: Trolleyworks Business Park generates rental income from tenant suites leased to Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - GSA Realty and Revival Fitness, with revenue available for transit operating expenses under FTA Joint Development Program.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | One-way adult fare: $1.75 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Free for seniors 65+ |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | ADA Paratransit Service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
AmTran product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AMTRAN (Altoona Metro Transit) is a public transportation authority operating 13 fixed bus routes, 8 tripper routes, and ADA paratransit services across Blair County, Pennsylvania. The organization runs a Smart Bus technology platform encompassing GPS-based real-time arrival information (myStop) and proximity smart card fare collection (myFare), and additionally leases commercial office space at the Trolleyworks Business Park.
Product overview
AMTRAN (Altoona Metro Transit) is a public transportation authority serving Blair County, Pennsylvania. Its core product is fixed-route bus service (13 regular routes plus 8 tripper routes) and ADA paratransit service, supported by a proprietary technology platform called the Smart Bus Technology. The Smart Bus platform comprises myStop (real-time departure information delivered via smartphone app, phone, SMS, QR codes, and online portal) and myFare (proximity smart card fare collection system developed with Avail Technologies), both built on GPS-based tracking and automated ADA-compliant announcement systems. Beyond transit, AMTRAN operates the Trolleyworks Business Park — a commercial office/flex real estate venture in renovated trolley barns. The fleet consists of 27 vehicles split between CNG and diesel-electric hybrid models, serving a 25-square-mile service area with 69,500 population.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- myStop: Real-time bus departure information system providing trip planning through Google and GPS-based tracking via smartphone app, phone, text, and QR code.
- Trolleyworks Business Park
- Faces of Amtran
- Amtran HelpLine
Products and services
- Fixed Route Bus Service Fixed route public bus service operating 13 routes six days a week (Monday-Saturday) covering Blair County municipalities of Altoona, Hollidaysburg, Logan, and Allegheny. Carries approximately 444,716 riders annually. Fares are $1.75 one-way for adults with exact fare required.
- Tripper Route Service
- ADA Paratransit Service
- myStop Real-Time Bus Information Real-time bus departure information system providing live arrival predictions for any AMTRAN bus stop. Delivers information via smartphone app (iOS/Android), phone (944-1200), SMS text messaging, QR codes at bus stops, and online portal. Same app works for CATA buses in State College.
- myFare Smart Card Fare Collection Proximity smart card fare collection system allowing tap-to-pay on bus readers, on-bus card reloading, and card cancellation if lost or stolen. Developed with Avail Technologies of State College.
- Trolleyworks Business Park Class 1 commercial office/flex space complex at 3316 Fifth Avenue, Altoona, PA, renovated from two former trolley barns into three first-class office/flex suites totaling 7,550 sq ft. Tenants include Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - GSA Realty (Suite 200) and Revival Fitness (Suite 300). Leases at $8.00/sq ft annually.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500,000 annual passenger trips
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use AmTran
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AmTran technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature5 records
AmTran partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TrilliumcorePrivate sector firm in PennDOT's statewide CNG Public-Private Partnership (P3). Trillium designed, built, financed, operates, and maintains CNG fueling stations at 29 transit agency sites through a 20-year P3 agreement. At AMTRAN, Trillium built the CNG fueling station along with garage modifications.
- Avail TechnologiescorePartnership with Avail Technologies of State College to develop myFare smart card fare collection system. AMTRAN served as beta test site for this innovative transit fare technology. Same partner also developed the myStop real-time bus departure system as part of Smart Bus Project.
- The EADS GroupminorLocal engineering firm working with AMTRAN and Trillium on CNG infrastructure project at the Altoona facility.
- Blair Senior ServicescoreNonprofit organization providing ADA paratransit service coordination on behalf of AMTRAN. AMTRAN provides Saturday paratransit service through Blair Senior Services for customers with disabilities who cannot use regular bus service.
- Penn State AltoonacoreMajor institutional partner with dedicated bus service connecting downtown and Ivyside campuses. Chancellor has publicly recognized AMTRAN as essential partner for serving students. Students represent a primary customer segment using bus service to avoid car ownership costs.
- Gillig CorporationminorAmerican bus manufacturer in Hayward, California producing Gillig low-floor CNG and diesel-electric hybrid buses. AMTRAN fleet includes 2021 and 2018 Gillig CNG buses and 2012 Gillig hybrids.
- Clear View StrategiesminorProject management provided by Clear View Strategies of Pittsburgh for Smart Bus Project implementation.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
AmTran competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cambria County Transit Authority (CamTran): Adjacent Johnstown, PA fixed-route and paratransit bus operator serving a similar small-city Pennsylvania market. Directly comparable as a peer municipal transit authority with a CNG/hybrid fleet and FTA-funded operations.
- County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS): Scranton-area PA fixed-route and ADA paratransit operator. Directly comparable as a small-to-mid Pennsylvania municipal transit authority reliant on FTA and state funding with paratransit obligations.
- Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo): Mid-sized US city fixed-route bus transit operator with BRT and ADA paratransit. Comparable as a municipal fixed-route bus authority with technology-enabled fare collection and active fleet modernization.
- Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA): Allentown/Bethlehem PA metro fixed-route and paratransit bus operator. Comparable mid-sized Pennsylvania transit authority offering fixed-route, tripper, and ADA paratransit services under a similar funding model.
- Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA): Mid-sized city fixed-route bus, trolley, and ADA paratransit operator. Comparable as a municipal transit authority combining fixed-route bus with ADA paratransit, with active technology investment in real-time tracking.
- Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA): State College, PA fixed-route bus operator that shares the Avail Technologies myStop platform with AMTRAN (the same myStop app serves both agencies). Comparable mid-sized PA municipal transit authority with university-driven ridership similar to Penn State Altoona.
- Rabbittransit (Central PA Transit Authority): York and Adams County, PA fixed-route, paratransit, and microtransit operator under the York County Transportation Authority. Comparable as a multi-county PA transit agency with both fixed-route and ADA complementary paratransit.
Broad incumbents
- Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA): DC-area multi-modal transit authority (Metrorail, Metrobus, paratransit). Comparable broadly as a federally-funded public transit agency with ADA paratransit obligations and real-time arrival technology, though at much larger scale.
- Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA): Dominant Philadelphia-region multi-modal transit agency (bus, trolley, subway, regional rail). Comparable as a PA public transit authority under FTA and PennDOT oversight, but substantially larger and more diversified than AMTRAN.
Others
- Gillig LLC: Hayward, CA bus manufacturer that supplies AMTRAN's Gillig CNG and diesel-electric hybrid fleet. Adjacent ecosystem participant as primary vehicle vendor rather than a transit competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AmTran social profiles
Digital presenceAmTran compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
AmTran financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AmTran leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
AmTran funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AmTran M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AmTran
What does AmTran do?
AMTRAN (Altoona Metro Transit) is a public transportation authority operating 13 fixed bus routes, 8 tripper routes, and ADA paratransit services across Blair County, Pennsylvania. The organization runs a Smart Bus technology platform encompassing GPS-based real-time arrival information (myStop) and proximity smart card fare collection (myFare), and additionally leases commercial office space at the Trolleyworks Business Park.
Is AmTran a public or private company?
AmTran is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was AmTran founded?
AmTran was founded in 1958. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is AmTran based?
AmTran is headquartered in Conway, United States, in the North America region.
How does AmTran make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Public Transit Fare Revenue is the primary driver. The others are federal and State Government Funding and real Estate Lease Revenue.
Who are AmTran's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cambria County Transit Authority (CamTran), County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS), Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo), Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA), Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA), Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) and Rabbittransit (Central PA Transit Authority). Broad incumbents are Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Gillig LLC is listed as an others.
Does AmTran have an API?
No public API is recorded for AmTran.
What industry is AmTran in?
AmTran's product category is Public Transit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFAJAH, Municipal/Transit-Agency Microtransit (First/Last-Mile Feeders), with a secondary code of THAIAHAA, ADA/Accessible Paratransit (Complementary to Fixed-Route Transit). Its NAICS code is 485113 and its SIC code is 4100.