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===Public transportation=== [[File:Reading BARTA bus.jpg|thumb|A [[Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority|BARTA]] bus in downtown Reading]] [[File:Franklin Street bus terminal (3).jpg|thumb|[[Franklin Street station (Pennsylvania)|Franklin Street station]] at Franklin and 7th streets]] Public transit in Reading and its surrounding communities has been provided since 1973 by the [[Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority]] (BARTA). BARTA operates a fleet of 50 buses (all [[hybrid electric bus]]es) serving 20 routes, mostly originating at the [[BARTA Transportation Center]] in Downtown Reading. BARTA also provides [[paratransit]] service in addition to fixed route service. The former [[Reading Railroad Franklin Street Station]] was refurbished and reopened to bus service on September 9, 2013, with buses running the express route back and forth to [[Lebanon Transit]]. The route to Lebanon was discontinued after a short period, resulting in the refurbished station sitting vacant. [[Klein Transportation]] provides bus service to Reading from a stop in downtown Reading and a stop at the [[Boscov's]] at the former [[Fairgrounds Square Mall]] to [[Douglassville, Pennsylvania|Douglassville]], [[Kutztown, Pennsylvania|Kutztown]], [[Wescosville, Pennsylvania|Wescosville]], [[Hellertown, Pennsylvania|Hellertown]], and [[Midtown Manhattan]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wfmz.com/news/berks/klein-transportation-and-ourbus-announce-introductory-schedule-and-rates/1010024952|title=Klein Transportation and OurBus announce introductory schedule and rates|date=February 10, 2019|publisher=WFMZ-TV|location=Allentown, PA|access-date=February 10, 2019}}</ref> Transport Azumah provides bus service from the InterCity Bus Terminal to New York City.<ref name=wfmz2819>{{cite web|url=http://www.wfmz.com/news/berks/bieber-cancels-all-bus-service-until-further-notice/1006707700|title=Berks-based Bieber bus line out of business after 72 years|date=February 8, 2019|publisher=WFMZ-TV|location=Allentown, PA|access-date=February 8, 2019}}</ref><ref name=wfmz21119>{{cite web|last=Rader|first=Tom|url=http://www.wfmz.com/news/berks/2-bus-companies-launch-service-from-berks-to-new-york-city/1013022480|title=2 bus companies launch service from Berks to New York City|date=February 11, 2019|publisher=WFMZ-TV|location=Allentown, PA|access-date=February 12, 2019}}</ref> [[Amtrak Thruway]] bus service operated by [[Krapf Coaches]] runs from the BARTA Transportation Center in Reading to [[30th Street Station]] in Philadelphia, with an intermediate stop in [[Pottstown, Pennsylvania|Pottstown]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Amtrak launches bus service from Philadelphia to Reading, Pottstown|publisher=WFMZ-TV|location=Allentown, PA|date=June 3, 2022|url=https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/amtrak-launches-bus-service-from-philadelphia-to-reading-pottstown/article_a3b3bf9c-e35c-11ec-a517-876a2e93a7f4.html|accessdate=June 3, 2022}}</ref> Reading and the surrounding area is serviced by the [[Reading Regional Airport]], a general aviation airfield. The three-letter airport code for Reading is RDG. Scheduled commercial airline service to Reading ended in 2004, when the last airline, [[USAir]] stopped flying into Reading.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=32287|title=Reading Regional Airport still flying high|website=[[Reading Eagle]]|date=July 22, 2004|access-date=March 26, 2018|archive-date=March 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326202549/http://www2.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=32287|url-status=dead}}</ref> Freight rail service in Reading is provided by the [[Norfolk Southern Railway]], the [[Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad]], and the [[East Penn Railroad]].<ref name=PennDOTBerks/> Norfolk Southern Railway serves Reading along the [[Harrisburg Line]], which runs east to [[Philadelphia]] and west to [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]], and the [[Reading Line]], which runs northeast to Allentown. Norfolk Southern Railway operates the Reading Yard in Reading.<ref name=PennDOTBerks/><ref name=NStimetable>[http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/NS/NS%20ETTs/NS%20Harrisburg%20Div%20ETT%20%231%208-4-2008.pdf#page=8 Norfolk Southern Harrisburg Region Timetable 1, August 4, 2008]</ref> The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad operates the [[Reading Division]] line from an interchange with the Norfolk Southern Railway in Reading north to [[Port Clinton, Pennsylvania|Port Clinton]] and [[Packerton, Pennsylvania|Packerton]].<ref>{{cite map|title=Reading & Northern Railroad System Map|publisher=Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad|url=http://www.rbmnrr.com/system-maps/|access-date=July 16, 2017}}</ref> The East Penn Railroad operates the Lancaster Northern line from [[Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania|Sinking Spring]] southwest to [[Ephrata, Pennsylvania|Ephrata]], using trackage rights along Norfolk Southern Railway east from Sinking Spring to an interchange with the Norfolk Southern Railway in Reading.<ref name=espnmap>{{cite map|url=http://www.eastpennrr.com/images/espn-map.pdf|title=East Penn Railroad Map|date=2011|publisher=DeskMap Systems|access-date=December 12, 2011|archive-date=March 1, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301134220/http://www.eastpennrr.com/images/espn-map.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Passenger trains ran between Pottsville, Reading, Pottstown, and Philadelphia along the [[Pottsville Line]] until July 27, 1981, when transit operator [[SEPTA]] curtailed commuter service to electrified lines. Since then, there have been repeated calls for the resumption of the services. In the late 1990s and up to 2003, SEPTA, in cooperation with Reading-based BARTA, funded a study called the [[Schuylkill Valley Metro]] which included plans to extend SEPTA's [[Manayunk/Norristown Line|R6 passenger line]] to [[Pottstown, Pennsylvania|Pottstown]], Reading, and [[Wyomissing]], Pennsylvania. The project suffered a major setback when it was rejected by the [[Federal Transit Administration]] New Starts program, which cited doubts about the ridership projections and financing assumptions used by the study. With the recent surge in gasoline prices and ever-increasing traffic, the planning commissions of [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery County]] and [[Berks County, Pennsylvania|Berks County]] have teamed to study the feasibility of a simple diesel shuttle train between the [[Manayunk/Norristown Line]] and Pottstown/Reading.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.r6extension.com|title=r6extension.com|website=r6extension.com|access-date=October 23, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080701152207/http://www.r6extension.com/|archive-date=July 1, 2008}}</ref> In 2018, a panel led by the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance pushed for an extension of the Manayunk/Norristown Line to Reading along existing Norfolk Southern freight railroad tracks, with service terminating either at the Franklin Street Station in Reading or in Wyomissing.<ref>{{cite news|last=Brelje|first=Beth|title=Panel hopes to revive Reading to Norristown passenger train service|work=Reading Eagle|date=August 21, 2018|url=http://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/panel-hopes-to-revive-reading-to-norristown-passenger-train-service|access-date=August 26, 2018|archive-date=August 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825133117/http://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/panel-hopes-to-revive-reading-to-norristown-passenger-train-service|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2020, the [[Pennsylvania Department of Transportation]] conducted a feasibility study on passenger train service from Reading to Philadelphia.<ref name=wfmz11121>{{cite news|last=Vasil|first=Jim|title=Reading to Philly rail study shows idea gaining steam|publisher=WFMZ-TV|location=Allentown, PA|date=January 11, 2021|url=https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/reading-to-philly-rail-study-shows-idea-gaining-steam/article_d8c651b4-545f-11eb-8dd5-13a1ae1e4143.html|access-date=January 11, 2021}}</ref><ref name=readingphillyreport>{{cite web|title=Reading to Philadelphia Passenger Rail Analysis|publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Transportation|date=December 2020|url=https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/wfmz.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/1c/c1c173ee-5460-11eb-88b2-b71a86748329/5ffcd898b752c.pdf.pdf|access-date=January 11, 2021}}</ref> In 2021, [[Amtrak]] announced a plan to implement intercity train service from Reading to Philadelphia and New York City, mostly following the Norfolk Southern line between Reading and Philadelphia and the [[Northeast Corridor]] between Philadelphia and New York City.<ref>{{cite news|title=Amtrak reveals 'vision' for service between Reading, NYC|publisher=WFMZ-TV|location=Allentown, PA|date=August 20, 2021|url=https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/amtrak-reveals-vision-for-service-between-reading-nyc/article_daed382e-01be-11ec-bd56-df36bf9bc6f6.html|accessdate=August 20, 2021}}</ref> In April 2022, the commissions of [[Berks County, Pennsylvania|Berks]], [[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester]], and [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery County]] voted to establish the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority to oversee the [[Schuylkill River Passenger Rail|restoration of Philadelphia-Reading passenger rail service]] on the former Reading Railroad right-of-way.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Urie |first1=Daniel |title=Rail service between Reading and Philadelphia could be restored after counties vote to create Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority |url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/schuylkill-river-passenger-rail-authority-reading-philadelphia-chester-berks-montgomery-counties-20220427.html |access-date=16 May 2022 |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |agency=Tribune News Service |date=27 April 2022}}</ref>
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