The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority and Lehigh Carbon Community College have expanded their partnership to offer lower bus fares to students and others in the campus community.

Initiated in 2015, the new fare structure now reduces the fare by 50 percent to the LCCC’s more than 7,000 students and staff.

The new fare reductions was jointly announced by Owen P. O’Neil, LANTA executive director, and Dr. Ann Bieber, president of LCCC.

Under the agreement, LCCC will purchase bus passes from LANTA at a 25-percent discount, and the college will offer an additional 25 percent reduction to students, faculty and staff.

“With LCCC’s campus in Schnecksville and busy Downtown Allentown Donley Center, we believe there is a great potential for students and others on campus to take advantage of the convenience and economy of public transit,” O’Neil said.

“We are happy to work with LANTA to make available to our campus community an even greater discount for those who choose to take the bus to class, campus activities or their jobs at our two locations in Lehigh County,” Dr. Bieber added.

A 31-day pass on LANtaBus, which provides unlimited rides for $60, will now be available to the LCCC community for $30, and the 10-ride ticket is halved to $8.

LANTA buses drop off and pick up riders at a convenient on-campus bus shelter in Schnecksville, while passengers at the Donley Center have easy access to the Allentown Transportation Center at 7th and Linden streets.

The changes provide additional service on Bus Route 209 from Allentown to Schnecksville.

In addition, LANTA will maintain service to Slatington via Route 325.

Route 325 will provide five daily trips between Slatington and LCCC, but instead of continuing south on 309 to Allentown, Route 325 will travel through Egypt to the Lehigh Valley Mall where numerous transfers can be made.

“Transit Authorities and colleges have come to realize there is an increasing need for lower-cost public transportation which benefits the college communities, the transit authorities and the public at large,” O’Neil said.