(WBRE/WYOU) — A birthday party was held Tuesday in the Poconos for a special pony.
The Monroe County Transit Authority, or Pocono Pony, as it’s known, started in 1979 with one bus and has since grown to 66 vehicles. Saint Luke’s Hospital in Bartonsville hosted a 40th-anniversary party for the Transit Authority.
Old photos and stories were shared along with some cake. The Pony has served nearly 300,000 passengers this year between its buses and shared ride program.
“It’s terrific, public transit in a community like this. I can remember when our population was less than 50k. Today it’s close to 170k and the need for accessible transportation is really important,” MCTA executive director Peggy Howarth said.
The hope is to convert the entire fleet of vehicles to natural gas in the coming years as older buses are phased out.