In 1997, the Pennsylvania Association of Municipal Transportation Authorities (PAMTA) and the Pennsylvania Association for Community Transportation (PACT) merged to form the PPTA. In its first year of operation, the PPTA had an operating budget of $75,000; in 2010, its operating budget is more than $500,000.
The PPTA is comprised of smaller public transportation groups at the urban, medium-sized city and rural levels that have agreed to operate under the PPTA's authority. Membership in the PPTA is not mandatory. Public transportation organizations can opt to remain independent of the PPTA, though the majority are members. When formed in 1997, the PPTA consisted of 76 member groups; in 2010, there are 150 member groups.
In 2010, PPTA and its members offered five types of public transportation: fixed route bus and rail, fixed route bus, shared-ride/demand response, intercity passenger rail and intercity passenger bus. Each type, except the shared-ride/demand response, operates on fixed routes with regular stops to pick up and drop off passengers. Shared-ride/demand response public transportation offers door-to-door service and requires advance scheduling and a willingness to share the vehicle with other passengers.
