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Interest is picking up by residents in and around Williamsport who want to see a non-stop and direct commercial bus service to New York City.
The curb-to-curb bus service has gained speed at a time when gas prices are surging and many want an inexpensive means of getting into the city and back.
"We have started pushing the idea of a Williamsport to New York City direct non-stop bus route through the Pajama Factory Facebook page," said Mark Winkelman, who is the Pajama Factory owner and continues to develop the building that provides space and lofts for businesses, creative artists and start-ups.
"This is something we have a passion for and believe we can make it happen," Winkelman said.
As an option to consider, OurBus (OurBus.com) is a company that is picking up smaller city-to-city routes, he said.
The company's website has a Request a Route tab. On the site, it says OurBus wants to see interest in a route before it starts its own internal analysis.
OurBus asks for at least 100 people to express interest on the website.
"We have reached that amount," Winkelman said.
A direct bus service could help out for those traveling into the New York metropolitan area.
"We live in a transportation desert," said David Stone, a city resident who wants to see the direct bus route happen.
He described how he recently received a call from his wife who was trying to get back to Williamsport from Florida, where she was visiting her brother.
Her airplane to Newark, New Jersey, was delayed by fog, so she was likely to miss her connection to State College, where he would pick her up.
"A bus from New York City to Williamsport would be a useful option in this case," Stone said.
Not a new concept
In 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, The Heart of Williamsport, a community-based initiative, identified direct inexpensive bus service to nearby cities as being desirable to those living in Lycoming County and to area residents.
The list of cities included New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh.
The Pajama Factory staff volunteered to spearhead the effort to attract a bus company to provide the service but then the pandemic put the brakes on the momentum, Winkelman said.
Today, with gas prices and remote working environments, professionals in health care and other industries and students living in Williamsport for months at a time, a direct-route bus service might serve multiple purposes.
For instance, a curbside model would offer nimbleness and cost savings for travelers.
There are economic and logistical reasons for seeing such a service.
The fact that many workers, especially younger workers in New York City, do not bother to own a car and are unable to get to Williamsport, are all reasons to move on the initiative, Winkelman said.
No airline serves Williamsport, he said.
The current bus company available Susquehanna Trailways goes to New York but with stops in places such as Bloomsburg and Stroudsburg.
"Think of the opportunities we can provide to families in Williamsport who are seeking easier and direct access to New York City," he said.
Access for a night at the theater or a day at the museum, ending the nightmarish need to find and pay for parking and navigate traffic, he said.
This will undoubtedly serve two local colleges, Pennsylvania College of Technology and Lycoming College, and be of interest to the working professionals and families in the city and region, Winkelman said.
Separately, it could open opportunities for employment and fill in labor gaps experienced by the pandemic.
"Independent data confirms that young professionals prefer to live where they can enjoy the community and natural resources so long as they can secure internet access," said Jerry Walls, a former Lycoming County planning director.
Williamsport is a gateway to the PA Wilds, offering easy access to a plethora of outdoor recreational opportunities, including the Susquehanna Riverwalk, Pine Creek Rail Trail, state forest trails for hiking and ATV access.
It has been reported that the PA Wilds generated $1.7 billion in revenue for the state last year due to recreational visitors and local craft enterprises, Walls said.