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It's Almost Renewal Time!
Reminder! Invoices for renewal were emailed a few weeks ago and are due October 1.
Is your member profile accurate? We are starting to prepare the 2025 Membership Directory for print. To make sure your member profile is accurate, we kindly ask you to review it promptly.
- All Members, ensure all your information is current.
- Operators, also make sure your vehicle count is current in your member profile including your Tour & Charter Rep contacts.
Login to the Member Portal (You must first be listed as a contact in your company's member profile and have created a user account) to get a copy of your invoice, if needed, and review/update your member profile.
View the instructions on how to update your profile. Please contact us if you need assistance.
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Easton Coach Participated in PPTA Roadeo
PBA Member, Easton Coach Company participated in the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association (PPTA) Bus Roadeo in Altoona, PA. They are proud to announce that the Easton Coach drivers brought home some hardware!
Congratulations to Denise Babbitt, Jenny Profeto, and Darryl Rouse for their outstanding performance. Denise and Jenny both achieved perfect scores in the wheelchair securement competition. In the roadeo, Denise secured 2nd place and Jenny 3rd place. Both drivers have qualified for the 2025 National Roadeo in San Diego next summer! See their post.
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Fullington Trailways Expands Partnership with Megabus
PBA Member Fullington Trailways, a cornerstone in the transportation industry since 1908, is proud to announce the expansion of its successful partnership with Megabus. This strategic alliance will introduce additional daily service options between Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, State College, and New York City, significantly increasing connectivity within both the Fullington and Megabus networks. Read the press release.
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Sandy Borowsky Shares Journey as Third-Generation Business Owner
PBA Executive Board Member Sandy Borowsky, owner of PBA Member Starr Bus Charter & Tours, recently sat down with Dave Bookbinder for an episode of Behind the Numbers. In this interview, Sandy shares her journey as a third-generation business owner, the challenges and triumphs of running a family business, and the passion that drives us to create unforgettable experiences for our travelers.
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Gettysburg National Military Park Seeks Public Help for Missing Artifacts
PBA Member, Gettysburg National Military Park (NMP) staff are seeking public assistance regarding artifacts that went missing between December 2023 and January 2024. The artifacts were taken from a historical site near Brooke Avenue, commonly referred to the Timbers farm, on the southern end of the battlefield, according to a press release.
Law enforcement rangers are conducting an active investigation and are seeking public assistance. Read more...
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Find a PBA Operator!
Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with someone searching for a PBA operator in your area? Visit our new webpage that simplifies the process of locating our operator members. Our online directory is now complemented by this convenient visual tool, providing a quick and easy way to locate PBA operators in a region. Be sure to check out our webpage for a seamless operator search experience!
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Pay It Foward Program! Submit Your Referrals by the Deadline!
As a PBA member, when you refer a new member to PBA, they will receive 15% off their first year's dues using promo code 15OFF.
As the referrer, you will also receive 15% off your next renewal with the Pay It Forward program.
Let's grow together and make a difference!
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Click the Refer button in your member portal by logging in and completing the short form and we will do the rest!
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Alternatively, you can share the application link and promo code with organizations that you feel will benefit from PBA membership: www.pabus.org/Join-PBA. Make sure to tell your referral to enter your name and company in the field on the application form and share the promo code 15OFF with them.
The deadline is September 30, 2024!
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PBA Member Testimonials - We Would Love Yours!
Read what some Members have to say about what PBA Membership means to them! We would love your testimonial too, click here to submit yours.
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Motorcoach Safety & Preparedness Workshop Held
The 11th Annual PBA Motorcoach Safety & Preparedness Workshop was held August 8th at the York Springs, PA Fire Hall.
Thank you to our speakers! Shawn Updegrove from FMCSA, Corporal Zeina S. Black from PA State Police, Dan Tomlinson from Lancer Insurance, Terry Kwiatkowski from Goodyear and Jenna Armato!
We would also like to thank and recognize our sponsors and a very special thank you to Wolf’s Bus for providing transportation AND hosting us at their location for the breakout session. Thank you to all!
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Webinar: Be Prepared to BUY or SELL - Industry M&A Update
PBA is hosting a webinar, facilitated by Ken Lucci, of PBA Member DrivingTransactions.com,
that will demystify the process and to discuss how to prepare your business to be either a successful buyer or well-prepared seller with an effective exit plan. We will discuss the current market, valuation criteria and M&A activity in the motorcoach sector, how to overcome challenges and be well prepared for either eventuality.
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DATE: September 24th
TIME: 10:00 AM
COST: $0.00
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Marketplace
March 24-25, 2025
Registration Opening August 30th!
The 2025 Marketplace will be hosted by Discover Lancaster at Spooky Nook in Manheim, PA on Tuesday, March 25. The Best Practices Sharing Roundtable, Networking Reception, Board of Director's meeting, and setup will all occur the day before, Monday March 24.
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Annual Conference
June 16-19, 2025
Save the Dates!
The 2025 Annual Conference will be hosted by Visit Richmond! We will be experiencing the area with FAMS, Dine-Around Night and Opening & Closing venues at area partners.
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Interested in Hosting a 2026 PBA Event?
Please visit our 2026 event pages for a copy of the bid specs. The submission deadline is 1/1/25.
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Read the below testimonial from our 2023 Annual Conference host Andrew Nixon, Executive Director of PBA Member, Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau:
“Hosting the 2023 PBA Annual Conference has been a truly fulfilling opportunity for our area. The event allowed us to demonstrate how well we can host a corporate sales function while also giving the wonderful Pennsylvania tour operator members of PBA a chance to experience our region first-hand.
Working with PBA’s staff and members to bring their Annual Conference to Chautauqua County, NY has been one of the most beneficial things we could have done in terms of developing tour operator relationships”.
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INDUSTRY AND COMMONWEALTH NEWS | |
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PA Race Among 6 That Could Change Balance of Power in U.S. House
Resources are pouring into the few truly competitive congressional races expected to help determine the balance of power in Washington next year.
Democrats need to flip just four seats to take back control of House of Representatives, while Republicans hope to expand their majority and make it easier to get priorities over the finish line, something they have struggled to do in a divided government. Read more...
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Shapiro Administration Enhances 511PA to Assist Travelers to Little League World Series
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) encourages motorists traveling to the Little League World Series in Williamsport to plan their trip using the enhanced real-time travel and alternate-route information available on a specialized web page at www.511PA.com/map/page/LLWS. Read more...
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Shapiro Administration Announces $7.1 Million in Additional Investments for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced $7.1 million in investments for Round 1B of federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding. This funding represents another step in the Shapiro Administration's commitment to combatting climate change and providing travelers with transportation options that are cleaner, safer, more affordable, and built by Pennsylvanians. Read more...
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State Transportation Commission Adopts Updated 12-Year Transportation Program
The State Transportation Commission (STC) adopted the 2025 12-Year Transportation Program (TYP). The plan anticipates that $88 billion will be available over the next 12 years for improvements to roads, bridges, transit systems, airports, railroads, and active transportation — an increase of more than 5% from the 2023 TYP.
Read more...
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SEPTA Will End Free Parking at Regional Rail Lots and Increase Prices
More than four years of free parking for SEPTA riders is scheduled to end Sept. 23 at Regional Rail surface lots and garages at Lansdale Station and the Frankford and Norristown Transportation Centers. Read more...
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Gettysburg Reinstates Bus Parking Spots
At their monthly meeting on Monday, the borough council authorized management to create bus-only parking spots where they deem them to be suitable. The spots are another iteration of a pilot program that was deemed to be a failure in 2023. Read more...
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Applications Open for the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program
Great opportunity to onboard drivers ages 18-20 with intrastate CDLs for interstate commerce! Get more information.
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Why a Pre-DOT Audit Is Important for Motorcoach Companies
Every bus company should know a DOT audit could come at any time. In fact, the audit is sure to come at least once every three to five years. So, waiting until the last minute to prepare for the Department of Transportation to knock at your door may not be the best idea. Especially when you can ensure your preparedness ahead of time. Read more...
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Two More ELDs Removed From FMCSA’s List of Approved Devices
On August 15th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) removed two Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) from the agency’s list of approved devices. Read more...
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FMCSA Wants Feedback On Guidance Documents
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will give the public an opportunity to let the agency know whether existing guidance documents need to be revised. FMCSA published a notice in the Federal Register on Tuesday, Aug. 13. The public has 30 days to provide feedback.
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ICYMI: Recording from July 31 FMCSA Listening Session on Safety Fitness Determinations
Check out the FMCSA Safety Fitness Determination Virtual Listening Session from July 31. Watch now.
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CVSA’s Brake Safety Week Scheduled for August 25-31
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced Aug. 25-31 as the dates for this year’s Brake Safety Week. Brake Safety Week is a commercial motor vehicle and driver inspection and regulatory compliance enforcement initiative, a brake-safety awareness and outreach opportunity, and a brake-related inspection and violation data-collection project. Read more...
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CVSA Releases 2024 Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative Results
Earlier this year, commercial motor vehicle law enforcement personnel and industry and association professionals from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. participated in this year's Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative (HTAI). The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance invited law enforcement and industry/association members to participate in an annual five-day human trafficking awareness and outreach campaign. Read more...
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NTSB Investigation Redesigned Investigation Webpages
NTSB wants to provide their web users with easy to find, centralized transportation safety investigation information. To do this, they've redesigned their investigation pages. Read more...
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ICYMI
Alerts, Invitations, Press Releases, and more are sent out to our Members as needed. Here are the emails we sent out since last GoNews below.
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PBA maintains active Social Media Platforms. In addition to the emailed communications we send to you, we actively share information to our platforms. We encourage you to LIKE US, FOLLOW US and ENGAGE with us! #pabus | | | | |
