COLUMBIA COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA

Transportation

1968

a background study of the
comprehensive county plan

COLUMBIA COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
COURT HOUSE, BLOOMSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

COLUMBIA COUNTY
HSrORICAL SOCIETY

COLUMBIA COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA

Transportation
The preparation of this report was
financed in part through an urban
planning grant from the Department
of Housing and Urban Development,
under the provisions of Section 701
of the Housing Act of 195'+, as amended, administered by the Bureau of
Community Development, Pennsylvania
Department of Community Affairs.

1968

background study of the
comprehensive county plan
a

COLUMBIA COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
COURT HOUSE, BLOOMSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

COLUMBIA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Richard K. Walton, President
Carl

John

Canouse, Vice President

Marvin

Creasy,

Secretary

Bower, Chief Clerk

Galley C. Keller, Solicitor

0. L

COLUMBIA COUNTY PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION

MEMBERS
Maynard

Joseph

Johnson, Chairman
Conner, Vice Chairman

Horace

Bennett, Jr.

Robert

Burge

Carl A. Wlttlg, Treasurer

Vaughn W. Carson

Jay W. Myers

Fred W. Klstler

Joseph

Tuza

STAFF
George A, McKelvy, Planning Director

Stephen Phillips, Assistant Director
Jay W. Myers, Solicitor

Annette Chebatorls

COLUMBIA COUNTY TRANSPORTATION REPORT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE

Introduction
Early Transportation Routes
Bus Service
Truck Servl ce
Rail Service
Air Service.
County Industry Transportation Survey
Conclusions
,

1
3

k
8

15
I7
20
20

LIST OF MAPS

FOLLOWING PAGE
Long Distance Bus Lines
Local Bus Service
Principal Truck Routes
Railroads
Airports

h
6

10
16
I8

LIST OF TABLES

Table A
Table B

Table

General Commodities Common Carriers
Parts I & II - Communities Served by General
Commodities Common Carriers
Other Common Carriers and Contract Carriers

APPENDIX
Role of Transportation in Shaping Development
County Motor Vehicle Registrations (Table)
Airport Development

A-1
A-3

INTRODUCTION
Transportation has become one of the most critical and complex
Modern industry is entirely deproblems of our urban areas.
pendent upon the swift and efficient movement of raw materials
The urban individual would
and products to and from the plant.
be helpless without a constant flow of food stuffs and other
Many jobholders, shoppers,
consumer Items into the market place.
tourists, and thousands of other travelers would be unable to
reach their destinations without some means of public transportation.

The forms of transportation have changed immeasurably since our
From the sailing vessel, stagecoach, horse
Country was founded.
and wagon, and other primitive forms, we now have ocean liners,
trains, supersonic aircraft, private automobiles, buses and
trucks.
Ironically, as each of these was developed to its fullest expression of functional efficiency, a new form of transTraportation or power would be developed to replace the old.
ditional forms then fade or disappear, or their function becomes
even more specialized or limited, as in the case of railroads
which are increasingly restricting themselves to the movement
of goods - rather than people.

Each form of transportation has its own particular advantage in
The railroads are superior
the movement of goods and/or people.
The airplane canfor the long distance movement of bulk goods.
not be approached for swiftness, while for versatile movement of
goods, the modern highway transport truck is difficult to equal.
In recent years, some of these have combined their own particular advantage for even more efficient joint operation, such as
the T.O.F.C., commonly called piggy-back service, offered by
the railroads, whereby loaded highway trailers are shipped
long distances via railroad flat cars to distant places, and
then over local highways for final delivery, without costly
handling in the terminals.
The private automobile has had a profound effect upon the segments of transportation which move people - local mass transit
It has
including commuter service, and Jong distance travel.
created a serious problem, especially to local bus companies.

The airlines have emerged as the dominant public carrier of
people for long distances, at the expense of the railroads,
and have caused serious cutbacks or abandonment of service
and loss of revenues in the railroad industry as well as the
long distance bus companies.
In the movement of goods, the huge highway transport trucks
have made very large inroads into the railroad' s share of
They are also
freight goods, particularly finished goods.
carrying an increasing load of first-class mall.

Because of the fact tLat the transportation industry is somewhat monopolistic, it is controlled by the State and Federal
governments through special legislation, franchises, licenses,
Routes and rates are established by the Federal
and subsidies.
Interstate Commerce Commission where interstate movement is
Involved and by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
where interstate movement is involved.
This report is a part of the Background Phase of the Columbia
The following is an
County Comprehensive Planning Program.
inventory and analysis of the county' s existing transportation
facilities and services including bus, truck, rail and air.
The knowledge gained from this study will be invaluable in
the work of the Plan Phase to follow - particularly the elements
dealing with land use and the plan for the future development
of the county' s overall transportation system.

2 -

EARLY TRANSPORTATION ROUTES
The original transportation routes in this area were the River
and Indian trails.
The first explorers, trappers, traders,
and settlers to enter the Region followed these paths.
Since
these trails soon proved to be inadequate, roads were proposed
to provide better access to both local and more distant points,
An early military road was the Susquehanna Trail connecting
our locality with Harrlsburg.
The development of the steamboat in 1826, and the opening of
the North Branch Division of the Pennsylvania Canal System
five years later (I83I), was a great boom to the economic development of this area, since it allowed bulk movement of
anthracite coal and lumber from Columbia County and its adjoining counties to the eastern seaboard.
Steamboats, as a
major means of transporation, were last used on the Susquehanna River during the mid lo90's.
The canals were in general use until about I9OO when changing transportation
methods supplanted them.
The railroads were constructed in
the Region during the I83O' s and were the principal factor
which caused the decline of all waterborne traffic in this
The railroads flourished with the expansion of the
area.
Region' s anthracite and timber industry in conjunction with
overall growth in the national economy. However, in the past
few decades, as the area's natural resources were depleted
and their demand deteriorated and as other forms of transportation became more economical or faster, the local railroad
industry experienced a great economic decline. The airplane
has gained a prominent place in the movement of people and
goods during the past twenty years, and now provides modern
service facilities to Columbia County residents from the
Wllkes-Barre/Scranton and Hazelton Airports in Luzerne County
Further,
and the Williamsport Airport in Lycoming County.
the development of the private automobile, trucks, and highways has freed the traveler and shipper from existing routes
and schedules.

BUS SERVICE
The motor bus is designed, primarily, for the mass movement
(See
of people over existing public highways and streets.
Since the motor bus does not require special facilFootnote)
ities in order to operate and with all development accessible
by thoroughfares, a far greater degree of flexibility in
service is possible than In the case of rail and air trans1)
The three common types of bus service are:
portation.
Scheduled Long-Distance, 2) Scheduled Local, and 3) Special
All of these basic forms of bus service are
or Charter.
(This study does not inavailable within Columbia County.
clude operations exclusively involved in the bussing of
students to and from school and school related activities.)

Long-Distance Service
Two firms operate long-distance scheduled bus service within
They are Eastern Greyhound Lines, generally
the county.
providing north/south service, and Edwards Motor Transit
Company, generally providing east/west service.

Eastern Greyhound Lines is part of a larger system operating
throughout the Continental United States as well as into
Service to every major city is available
Canada and Mexico.
through the total network. The Columbia County communities
of Berwick and Bloomsburg are on the Syracuse, New York/
Washington, D.C. route - much of which is over U. S. Highway
11.

There are four southbound trips dally (one classified as a
flagstop) and five northbound (three classified as a flagThe route provides regular direct service to the
stop).
cities of Syracuse, Binghampton, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre,
There are some varHarrisburg, Baltimore and Washington.
at
originate/terminate
trips
which
iations including a few
Rochester,
northern
segment,
one
trip
serving
Scranton on the
and one Pittsburgh via Harrisburg.

Motor buses are also utilized for the movement of
Note:
Although the use of this "package" service is
property.
increasing, the service is still quite secondary to the
The weight of
primary function of the movement of people.
parcels is generally limited to a maximum of 100 pounds
The policy on maximum package size
for ease of handling.
is 2^" X 2^" X ^5" although exceptions are made for unusually shaped items.

COLUMBIA COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA

^--1

LONG DISTANCE BUS LINES

Barsick

Ntteoptek

EASTERN GREYHOUND
LINES

EDWARDS LAKES TO
SEA SYSTEM
(CONTINeNTAL TRAILWATS)

COLUMBIA COUNTY
PLANNING COMMISSION

Edwards Motcr Transi"^. Company, knovna as the Edwards Lakes-toSea System, is a division of Continental Trallways which serves
The firm operates two routes through Columall major cities.
bia County.
As can be seen on the map titled "Long Distance
Bus Service," one route is over a combination of Interstate
Route 80, U.S. Route 11 and Pa. Routes 93 and 1+87 - serving
the communities of Berwick and Bloomsburg while the other is
over Pa. Route 61 - serving Centralia in the southern portion
of the county.
Of the five westbound daily trips through the Berwlck/Bloomsburg area, one originates in New York City while the others
originate at Philadelphia. All of the latter terminate at
Williamsport and one only discharges passengers locally. The
trip originating in New York City continues beyond Williamsport to State College, DuBois, Oil City, Youngstown and
Cleveland.
Eastbound, there are also five trips through Bloomsburg/Berwick, one originating in Cleveland, the others at Williamsport.
Principal intermediate communities served to the
east are Hazelton and Allentown.

The route through Centralia (classified as a "flag stop") provides service similar to the Berwlck/Bloomsburg route with the
exception that it diverges from the basic route near Lehighton,
passing through Pottsville or Tamaqua, Shamokln, Sunbury; thence
northward to Williamsport serving intermediate communities along
the east side of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.
A
total of six eastbound and seven westbound trips serve Centralia.

Both Eastern Greyhound and Edwards Lakes-to-Sea provide service
to most intermediate communities along their routes between the
major cities. However, under regulations of the state Public
Utility Commission and the Federal Interstate Commerce Commission
regulations designed to project local bus operations. Greyhound
is specifically prohibited from providing "local" service between Berwick and Danville while Edwards is under similar restrictions between Nescopeck and Danville and between Ashland
and Shamokln.
Local Service
A number of bus firms provide local service into and through
The largest operation is that of
portions of Columbia County.
the North Branch Bus Company based in Bloomsburg.
Others are
the Ashland & Shamokln Auto Bus Company - Mount Carmel, John
Adams - West Hazelton, Clark Rinehimer - V/apwallopen, Edgar
Bonham - Nantlcoke, George Bloschock - Rock Glen, and Rldall
Bus Lines - Shickshinny.

5 -

The North Branch Bus Company operates three main divisions There are nine trips each way
Berwick, Danville and Catawlssa.
between Bloomsburg and Berwick, seven trips between Bloomsburg
On
and Danville and two between Bloomsburg and Catawlssa.
some of the trips there are extensions from the main route into
There are three
Foundryville, Nescopeck and Miffllnville.
additional eastbound trips from Bloomsburg - one of which terminates at the U.S. Radium plant and the others at Lime Ridge.
The North Branch system generally follows the route once served
The electric railway operated from 1902 until
by trolley cars.
The brick remains of the old car barns are still stand1926.
The
ing at Grovania on the Columbia-Montour county line.
Berwick/Bloomsburg/Danville route is over the old U.S. Route
11 where most of the intermediate residential development is
The Catawlssa Division is over Pa. Route k2 through
located.
the Village of Rupert.
The only other thru-county local bus service is operated by
The service is over Route
the Ashland & Shamokin Auto Bus Co.
At present, service is
61 which passes through Centralia.
limited to four trips on Saturdays only.

Three other bus firms provide service to Berwick, however,
except for the river crossing and a few streets within the
The
borough, their routes are entirely within Luzerne County.
Valley Transit Company provides service between Berwick and
The firm of Clark Rinehimer (WapwallopHazelton twice daily.
en) and Ridall Bus Lines (Shickshinny) each make one trip
Rinehimer carries mostly public school
daily into Berwick.
students while nearly all of Ridall' s passengers are industrial employees.
For more than twenty years, George Bloschock provided service
to Bloomsburg industrial plants from the Rock Glen area of
Luzerne County through "Beaver Valley", Malnvllle and East
Bloomsburg.
This route is indicated on the map titled "Local
Bus Service," however, the service was terminated in November
of 1968.

There are two
Supplementing local bus service are taxi cabs.
K-Cab
firms providing this service within Columbia County.
operates three units in Bloomsburg and Club-Cab operates up
to four units in Berwick.

Special Service

With few exceptions, all motor bus firms, from the smallest
"local" to the largest "continental" operations, provide
Nearly all charter trips origspecial or charter service.
inating within Columbia County are handled by two firms, the
North Branch Bus Company and Catawese Coach Lines, the latter
operating out of Catawlssa.

- 6

COLUMBIA COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA

LOCAL BUS SERVICE

8«r«lek

•leopaek

NORTH BRANCH BUS

CO.

ASHLAND a SHAMOKIN BUS

CO.

INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYEE SERVICE

COLUMBIA COUNTY
PLANNING COMMISSION

North Branch rn.aj'' originate charter trips from any location along
Catawese Coach, which has no
its scheduled service routes.
scheduled service, is limited to the Catawissa area in respect
A large portion of the latter
to the origination of trips.
firm' s business is the transportation of public school children.
This type of bus service is not Included in this study due to
its extremely specialized nature.
Areas Not Served
No public bus service is available within the entire portion
of the county lying north of U.S. Route 11 containing the
principal communities of Millville, Benton and Orangeville.
In the late 1930' s, the White Transit Company, a WilkesBarre firm now merged with Martz-Trallways, attempted to

establish service between that city and Williamsport via
Benton and Millville. However, the venture proved unsuccessful
and service was terminated after a duration of only six months.
In the southern portion of the county, the Numidia/Mill Grove
and the Mainville areas are also without public bus service.

TRUCK SERVICE
No other form of transportation has grown as rapidly as the
As with the motor bus, service by this
trucking Industry.
type of conveyance is not limited to fixed special facilities
as in the case of rail, air and water transportation systems.
The motor truck is capable of picking up all goods to be
moved at their point of origin.

The most outstanding characteristic brought to light in the
study of this form of transportation is the seemingly infinWhile every
ite number of firms providing such service.
effort has been made to provide a complete inventory of
available trucking service within Columbia County, there are
undoubtedly some omissions.

Types of Service

There are several classifications and sub-classification of
These classifications fall into three basic
trucking service.
categories which pertain to:
1) extent of service, 2) routing
Under extent, the
and scheduling, and 3) type of goods handled.
Under routing
service is either "interstate" or "intrastate".
and scheduling, the service is either "regular route" or "irregular route." Under type of goods, the service is either on
(See
"general commodities" or on "specified commodities".
SELECTED TRUCKING DEFINITIONS following.)

SELECTED TRUCKING DEFINITIONS
1.

COMMON CARRIER
Any Individual, company, etc., holding itself out to the public to engage in transportation by motor
vehicle of property for compensation over regular or irregular routes, except transportation by motor vehicle by an
express company to the extent that such transportation has
been subject to Part I of the Interstate Commerce Act.

CONTRACT CARRIER
Any individual, company, etc., engaging
in transportation by motor vehicle of property for compensation, (other than common carriers) under continuing contracts with one, or a limited number of individuals, companies, etc., for the furnishing of transportation services
through that assignment or motor vehicles for the exclusive
use of each individual, company, etc., for a continuing
period or for furnishing such service designed to meet the
distinct need of each customer.

GENERAL C0I4M0DITIES
Includes all of the wide range of
commodities that can be transported by motor vehicle, except commodities which require special equipment or handling,
or are contaminating to other lading.
There may be other
commodity restrictions in a carrier's certificate.
If a
carrier' s certificate restricts him to handle only certain
named commodities, he is considered specified, or limited,
commodity carrier.

SPECIFIED COMMODITIES
A restricted list of commodities
which are the only commodities the carrier is permitted to
handle

REGULAR ROUTE COMMON CARRIER
Is a motor common carrier who
operates over a definite route between specific points with
fixed termini on regular schedule (usually daily, but occasionally on specific days of the week.) These carriers,
in most instances, haul general commodities.

IRREGULAR ROUTE COMMON CARRIER
Is a motor truck common
carrier 'vLo serves points v;ithin a given area.
The routes
and schedules are not definitely specified.
Many of these
carriers give service on general commodities, but some
handle only specified commodities.

INTERSTATE SERVICE
Transportation between any place in
one state and any place in another state or between places
in the same state when the route is through another state.

INTRASTATE SERVICE
Transportation between points in the
same state when such transportation does not pass through
another state or is not part of a movement in interstate
service.

;

SOURCE:

;

Interstate Commerce Commission and the American
Trucking Association
-

Types of Carriers
The three basic types of trucking operations involved in the
movement of a significant volume of goods are: 1) Common
(see
Carriers, 2) Contract Carriers and 3) Company Fleets.
definitions) This study will primarily focus upon the common
carriers providing general commodities service within the
county.

Principal Truck Routes
Principal truck routes in Columbia County are the Keystone
Shortway (Interstate Route 80), U. S. Route 11, and Pa.
See the map titled, "PRINCIPAL
Routes 42, ^1+2, ^87 and 61.
TRUCK ROUTES", showing through traffic and primary and
secondary local service truck routes.
The Keystone Shortway, an east/west thoroughfare is primarily
A number of county firms do rely
a through traffic artery.
on this facility for the receipt of raw materials and the
shipment of goods to the major urban markets - particularly
Although segments of this expressway
the eastern Megalopolis.
are not completed in New Jersey, central and western Pennsylvania and beyond, it has already become a very important
element in the county' s overall transportation picture - particularly in respect to industrial development.

The most heavily used truck route in the county is over U.S.
Route 11, running east/west through the center of the county.
1965 traffic counts by the Pennsylvania Department of Highways indicated an average daily volume of 1,300 to 1,500
trucks of 7,000 pounds or more gross weight over this route.
This heavy volume is primarily due to the fact that a majority of the county' s industry and sixty percent of the population is located along this corridor containing the Borough
of Berwick and the Town of Bloomsburg.
The next lower level of truck traffic is over Pa. Route 61
with an average daily volume of 500 to 700. Route 61 passes
through the Borough of Centralia in the southern extreme of
the county. The highway serves as a major link between
Philadelphia and the Lower Anthracite Valley communities of
Ashland, Mount Carmel and Shamokin as well as the Sunbury
area to the west.
The next most important route is Pa. ^2 running nearly due
Truck
north/south through the entire length of the county.
volumes on the segment north of Route 11 averaged m-OO while
The route
the average was 200 on the southern segment.
originates at Centralia, passes through Catawissa and BloomsThe volume
burg and extends northward through Millville.

COLUMBIA COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA

•1.-1

PRINCIPAL TRUCK ROUTES

y
fP

N E

SUGARLOAF

/
JACKSON
/

|B E N T

A D

1^'"

'GREENWOOD
\\

Rohfiburgl

\|
Millvlll*

---A
\

MOUNT

ORANGE
\

PLEASANT

/-'

•

splits above Mlllvllle with half continuing north on ^-2 while
the remainder turns northwestward over ^^2.
This traffic's
latter segment serves as a link between the county and the
Muncy/Wllllamsport area.
The final major truck route of Importance Is over Pa. Route
^87 which passes through the county In a southwest/northeast
direction, Intersecting the other major routes at Bloomsburg.
Volumes to the north through Orangevllle to Benton averaged
150 trucks per day while the southern segment from Route ^-2
at Catawlssa through Elysburg toward Sunbury and Shamokln
averaged 160.

Inventory of Carriers
Common Carriers As previously mentioned, there are a multitude
of trucking firms providing service within Columbia County.
Tables A and B following list thlrty-slx "Common Carriers"
providing service for general commodities as reported in the
national American Motor Carrier Directory of the American
Trucking Association.
Table- A Indicates the location of the general office, the type
Table B
of routing, and the type of service for each firm.
which is in two sections, indicates which firms provide service
to thirty-five of the county's boroughs, towns and villages.
As can be expected, the largest number of firms (from 23 to 27)
serve the more highly industrialized communities - Berwick,
Bloomsburg and Catawlssa.

Of the firms listed, two maintain transfer terminals within
Norwalk Truck Lines operates a terminal at the
the county.
old Centre Airport near Lime Ridge and Friedman' s Express has
a terminal in Bloomsburg adjacent to the town' s Airport Industrial Park.

Other Common and Contract Carriers In addition to the foregoing inventory of Common Carriers listed in the American
Motor Carrier Directory (furnished by the federal Interstate
Commerce Commission), thirty- three other trucking firms were
identified as providing service within Columbia County.
This
additional Information was obtained through a survey of county
industries and examination of records maintained by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
These additional firms and the communities they are known to
serve are indicated on Table C which follows.
This listing
includes General Commoditiea Common Carriers, Specified
Commodities Common Carriers, and Contract Carriers.
(See the
preceding definitions.)

Supplementing the large number of Common CarComTpany Fleets
riers and Contract Carriers In the transportation of property
The survey
by truck are the company owned or operated fleets.
of county Industries revealed a total of thirty firms engaged
They are as follows:
this activity.
L. Dillon
Lear Siegler
Magee Carpet
Maxi Manufacturing

AMAX Aluminum Mill Products
Americana Mobile Homes
Argo of Pennsylvania
B & L Industries
Benton Wood Products
Fabricating
Berwick Forge
Bloomsburg Mills
C & M Auto Spring
CoManCo
Country Best-Agway
Delux Homes
General Machine & Mfg
Girton Manufac'^-'^r:5rs
H.L.H. Products
Hanover Canning

McGregor-Doniger
Milco Industries
Millville Lumber Products
Multiplex Manufacturing
Orangeville Manufacturing
Penngora Knitting Mills
Rad Woodwork
Royal Swan Foods
U. S. Radium
Vaughns Sanitary Bakery
Wise Potato Chip

c§:

All of the above firms except Country Best rely on either Common
Carriers or Contract Carriers for transportation of goods in
Nearly half use both types of
addition to their own vehicles.
carriers.
In most cases, the firms using their own vehicles
do so to transport their products while relying upon carriers
for incoming raw materials, semi-finished products and general
supplies.

>
(X

X X

X X X X

X X

Ll)

CL
>-

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

<
3

—1 UJ
I—

OO
3
cr ce

X X

X X X X X

X X

X X X X X X

X X

X X X X X

i_u

>- CD
UJ q:
cr

_J CO
LU

cr
cr
cr

XXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXX

X X X X X

TABLE B

PART

TRUCK TRANSPORTATION
Columbia County, Pennsylvania
COMMUNITIES SERVED BY
GENERAL COMMODITIES COMMON CARRIERS

en
I-

Q)
0)
s_

c
1o

>
O
I-

i/i

10
0)

10
I0)

I-

CARRIER

Trucking Corp.
A.
A. Transport Corp.
Arrow Carrier Corp.
Associated Transport, Inc.
Bair Transport, inc.
Bo us Motor Lines
Branch Motor Express Co.
Burgmeyer Bros., inc.

if)

1_
u.

A.
P.

— c
— 3 C
-O
> o ro — o 5
>- O — > -I- o
C 1- >-4<D CD 01
10 <D
^toI- "OC 0)c (D> —
3 <D O + i- CZ
L 1O \J
\J
^
Q) <D O
o ^-

CD
^U J3 cj
o +- +-CO — oE m -c
-^
>_
s
+Q.
>—E — c —o - U3
^^
<<mmcooQCQocjujuju-u.e)(;

—

—
—
—

0)
UJ

Illf
Q)

Ih-

lU
ro

tn
U'

X
X
X

X X

X X X X

Consol rdated Freigiitways
Continental Transportation Lines,
Daley's Blue Line Transfer Co.
Evans Del very Co.
Exhibitor^s Service Co.

X
X

Inc.

Trucking Co.
Fowler & Wi II iams,
nc.
Fowser Fast Freight, Inc.
Friedman's Express, Inc.
Hall's Motor Transit Co.
Harris Express, Inc.
IML Freight, Inc.
interstate Motor Freight System
Johnson Motor Lines, Inc.
Jones Motor Co., Inc.
Lombard Bros., Incorporated
M & M Transportation Co.
Mason & Dixon Lines, Inc.
Miller's Motor Freight, Inc.
New Penn Motor Express, Inc.
Norwalk Truck Lines, Inc.
Rei ly's Auto Transfer, Inc.
Reisch Trucking & Transportation Co.,
Roadway Express, inc.
Suwak Trucking Co.
Tidewater Inland Express, Inc.
Transamerican Freight Lines, Inc.
Yankee Lines, Inc.

XXX

X
X

Fol Imer

X X

XXX

X X X X X X
X X

X
X
X
X

X X

X X X

XXX

X
X
X

X X

X
X
X
X

X
X X

X
X
X
X

X
X
X

X X
X X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X

SOURCE:

X X X X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X

inc.

XXX
X X
XXX

Interstate Commerce Commission, Harrisburg Office
(American Motor Carrier Directory - A.T.A.).

XXX

X
X
X

TABLE B

PART

TRUCK TRANSPORTATION
Columbia County, Pennsylvania
COMMUNITIES SERVED BY
GENERAL COMMODITIES COMMON CARRIERS

0)
0)
Q)
l_

-H
CO

CARRIER
Trucking Corp.
Transport Corp.
Arrow Carrier Corp.
Associated Transport, Inc.
Bair Transport, Inc.
Bolus Motor Lines
Branch Motor Express Co.
Burgmeyer Bros., Inc.
Consolidated Freightways
Continental Transportation Lines, Inc.
Daley's Blue Line Transfer Co.
Evans Del very Co.
Exhibitor's Service Co.
Fol Imer Trucking Co.
Fowler & Williams, Inc.
Fowser Fast Freight, Inc.
Friedman's Express, Inc.
Hall's Motor Transit Co.
Harris Express, Inc.
IML Freight, Inc.
Interstate Motor Freight System
Johnson Motor Lines, Inc.
Jones Motor Co., Inc.
Lombard Bros., Incorporated
M & M Transportation Co.
Mason & Dixon Lines, Inc.
Miller's Motor Freight, Inc.
New Penn Motor Express, Inc.
Norwalk Truck Lines, Inc.
Reilly's Auto Transfer, Inc.
Reisch Trucking 4 Transportation Co., Inc.
Roadway Express, Inc.
Suwak Trucking Co.
Tidewater Inland Express, Inc.
Transamerican Freight Lines, Inc.
Yankee Lines, Inc.
A.

A.
P.

A.
A.

4x:
en

—
O)
-O Q —
— —
DC +- —
<D

—E

—
—
>
c
—
—

D C>4O ro

>
O
I-

—

—
—
>

——

—
—

>
in
c

~(D
T3—
ro

e
O 3
i_

XXXXXXX

> D
0)

JD
I/)

I<D

c
5

C
3 >
o o

C O 3 1- CD
3
(D H
E ^ — -Q C
3
O

^ Q. —
£
o
OCectcncocoSM
(0
1-

rt)

XXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXX

XXX

SOURCE:

x
X

XXX

XX
X

XXX

XX
X

XXX

X
X

XXXXX
XX
XXX

Interstate Commerce Commission, Harrisburg Office
(American Motor Carrier Directory - A.T.A.).

XX
X

X
X

TABLE

TRUCK TRANSPORTATION
Columbia County, Pennsylvania

CARRIER

HB
<

OTHER COMMON CARRIERS
AND CONTRACT CARRIERS'

For the purpose of this study, firms
Carriers Not Incliid>:l
exclusively engaged In the transportation of the following
types of goods were not Included In the trucking inventory:
1) unprocessed agricultural products, 2) farm supplies,
3) construction and other bulk materials including fuels,
h) construction and other heavy equipment and machinery,
5) logs from woodlots, 6) used household articles (movers),
-and 7) local transfer items (drays).
Also not included in this report are the many trucking firms
which have operating routes through the county but seldom,
One
if ever, make pick-ups or deliveries within the area.
of the more familiar trucking firms among those in this
category is. the Matlack "Pipeline on Wheels."

RAIL

SERVICE

Railroads are primarily utilized for relatively low-cost, long
distance transportation of large volume shipments.
Prior to the
explosive growth of the motor vehicle (and the highway network
to carry it) railroads were responsible for the ma;3or portion of
long-distance transportation in America - not only of property,
but of people as well.
Early signs of the decline of railroads
were in evidence during the years immediately preceding World
War II.
The conflict, with the massive need for supplies and
men, togetherwith suspended non-military motor vehicle production,
and shortage of government funds for such domestic programs as
highway construction, granted the railroads a temporary reprieve.
After the close of the war, rail traffic declined rapidly.
At the present time, railroads seem to be holding their own partly due to economy moves such as mergers; new innovations
such as "piggy-back" service, the "unit-train" and special
equipment such as the automobile carrier and high-speed passenger
units and, ol no small significance, the congestion being created
by the ever-growing number of motor vehicles.
This latter
factor, togetherwith continued imaginative thinking and the
recognition that "mass transportation" is mandatory if urban
America is to survive, should shortly produce a steady increase
in the utilization of rail facilities.
Existing trackage will
be upgraded but likely not extended for quite some time.

Columbia County Rail Service
Columbia County is presently served by three railroad companies:
the Penn-Central (until recently, the Pennsylvania Railroad),
the Erie -Lackawanna (formerly the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western
See the accompanying map titled
Railroad) and the Reading.
"RAILROADS".
At one time the Lehigh Valley Railroad had considerable trackage in the southern tip of the county, however,
these lines have been abandoned for several years and most of
(Many "current" maps still show
the rails have been removed.
Lehigh trackage in the Centralia area.) None of the existing
railroads provide passenger service through the county although
all did at one time.
The Penn-Central system has two separate lines in the county.
One is a "main line" located along the south bank of the Susquehanna River, passing through Mifflinville and Catawissa.
The other is a "branch line" entering the county from the west
near Jerseytown, extending eastward to Berwick, terminating in
Also, a spur extends north
the B.I.D.A. Industrial Complex.
to Millville providing service to that community' s industries.

7^S
-

The Erie -Lackawanna l^-ne is located on the northern side of the
Susquehanna, paralleling U. S. Route 11 from Berwick to Bloomsburg
thence along the bank of the river.
Siding service is provided
in both communities as well as at several intermediate points.
A freight office is maintained at Bloomsburg, however, all package
shipments are handled by REA Express trucks.
The Reading Company' s principle line enters the county from the
southeast, following Catawissa Creek to the Borough of Catawissa
where it crosses the river to Rupert, turning westward along
U. S. Route 11 to Danville and beyond.
A spur extends northward
along Fishing Creek, terminating at Benton.
(When lumbering was
active in the area, the line continued northward to Central and

Jamison

City-.

)

There is an active interchange yard located at Rupert where the
Erie-Lackawanna and Reading railroads cross each other. As
mentioned previously, there is no passenger service available
within the county and direct rail freight service is available
in no less than car-load volumes. Information on the amount of
traffic is limited with only the Reading reporting.
The line
indicated seventy-eight cars "in" and seventy-two cars "out"
during a one month period at their Bloomsburg terminal.
Although the number of cars moved were about equal, the weight
of the incoming material was nearly double the weight of shipments out - indicating that more raw materials are received
than are shipped out by rail.
The nearest passenger service is available at Sunbury, Williamsport and Pottsville.
The Penn-Central operates one train
northbound and one southbound through Sunbury and Williamsport,
providing service to Buffalo, Harrisburg and Washington.
The
Reading operates a "commuter service" out of Pottsville to
Philadelphia three times daily in the form of a single selfpropelled car.

16 -

COLUMBIA COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA

RAILROADS

B*r«lck

Ncteepiek

CENTRAL

PENN
ERIE

LACKAWANNA

READING

COLUMBIA COUNTY
PLANNING COMMISSION

AIR SERVICE
Air service in Columbia County is quite limited as there are no
The nearest
commercial airlines directly serving the area.
scheduled service is at Montoursville (Willi amsport Airport),
Hazelton, and Avoca (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport) where
adequate facilities are located and there is sufficient popSmall craft charter
ulation to support commercial operations.
two
service is available at the county's
"public" airports
There is also a semi-public
located at Berwick and Bloomsburg.
field at Benton as well as three certified private fields.
(See the accompanying map titled, "AIRPORTS".)

Commercial Facilities and Service

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport Facilities at the Wilkes-Barre/
Scranton Airport consist of three paved runways which range in
length from 3?700 feet to 5^200 feet; a control tower; an
instrument landing system, a flight service station; and a
terminal building with restaurant facilities, car rental and
Scheduled service is provided by four
limousine service.
Allegheny, Eastern, Altair and Pocono.
airlines:
Allegheny' s service is primarily east/west with eighteen flights
Service is provided to Hazelton, Newark, Providence
per day.
and Boston; Willi amsport Phillipsburg, Pittsburgh, Cleveland
and Detroit; Harrisburg; and New York (LaGuardia).
,

Eastern' s service is primarily north/south with five flights
per day.
Service is provided to Allentown, Reading, Philadelphia, Washington, Richmond, Charlotte and Louisville to the
south and Binghampton to the north.

Altair operates six flights per day serving Allentown and
Pocono provides a
Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Albany.
regional air-taxi service.

_
Iding with
„
„^
o„restaurant facilities. Weather Bureau Station, car rental and
Scheduled service is provided by Allegheny Airtaxi service.
lines and Altair.
,

Allegheny operates twelve flights per day serving Phillipsburg,
Pittsburgh, Erie, Cleveland, Detroit, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton,
Newark, New York, Providence and Boston.
Altair has one
flight per day to Harrisburg and return with connections for
Philadelphia and Washington.

Hazelton Airport Facilities at the Hazelton Airport consist of
one ^,910 foot paved runway and one ^-,100 sod runway, a unicorn
communications system, a terminal building with snack facilities,
The airport is attended only during
car rental and taxi service.
Pocono Airlines operates a commuter service
daylight hours.
They also
through a contractural arrangement with Allegheny.
operate four flights daily to Philadelphia.
County Facilities
Bloomsburg Municipal Airport Facilities at the Bloomsburg Airport
consist of a -2,800 foot paved runway with a 3 00 foot sod runoff
area at each end, an automatic lighting system, a unicom communication system, a flight service station, twenty tie-down
Services include major and minor
stations and six "T" hangers.
repairs, charter and air freight, as well as student instruction.
The facility is open seven days a week and claims twenty-four
hour service.
Presently there are ten planes of the single and
light-twin engine class based there.
It has been estimated that
there are approximately 7)000 take-offs and landings per year
The facility
with 300 to M-00 of these involving air freight.
is privately operated under an agreement with the Town.

Berwick Airport Facilities at the Berwick Airport which is privately owned, consist of a 2,^-00 foot sod runway, a lighting
system which can be activated from approaching aircraft, a unicom communication system, fueling facilities, ten tie-down
Services
stations and a general hanger for plane storage.
available Include charter and air freight, flight instruction and
a courtesy car.
Indications are that the facility may be closed
if the community does not acquire or otherwise assist in its
operation.
Benton Airport The Benton Airport is privately owned and almost exclusively used by a local flying club. However, it Is
also somewhat public in nature in that anyone is free to use the
field and it is generally considered as being a community facility.
The port has a sod runway approximately 2,000 feet In
length, a general hanger for storage and six tie-down stations.
There is a Janox (reflector) lighting system but not communiThere are two single-engine planes based
cations equipment.
here and it has been estimated that there are approximately
Plans include runway
500 take-offs and landings per year.
lighting and additional hanger space.
Other Airports Other public airports utilized by Columbia
County small craft owners and users are the Shamokin Airport
in the Elysburg area and the Danville Airport at Riverside, both
in Northumberland County.
Several county aircraft, particularly those of the larger size, are also based at the previously
mentioned Hazelton Airport in Luzerne County.

COLUMBIA COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA

AIRPORTS

BERWICK
i«r*lek

opaek

USE

CLASSIFICATION
PUBLIC

SEMI-PUBLIC

PRIVATE

SHAMOKIN

COLUMBIA COUNTY
PLANNING COMMISSION

•

There are three private airfields recognized by various
aeronautical units and publications located within the county.
They are the Albert son field near Millville, the Yohey field
at the Stone Castle Motel in Montour Township, and the Mensch
These airports are neither availfield in Cleveland Township.
able nor suitable for public use and, therefore, cannot be
considered as part of the county' s system of transportation
facilities.

19 -

COUNTY TNnnS TR Y TRANSPORTATION SURVEY
During the course of this study, a questionnaire pertaining
to transportation was mailed to approximately sixty Columbia
The questionCounty industries, with forty-six responding.
naire was designed to provide Information on the methods of
transportation utilized by the major Industries as well as
the volume of truck traffic generated by the firm, together
with an indication of any problems being experienced.
All respondents utilized motor truck transportation.
Surprisingly, sixty-three percent either received or shipped,
or both, by motor bus, although several firms indicated such
A similar proportion (.65%) made
use as being Infrequent.
use of rail service while an unexpectedly high (^1) percent
utilized air service.
In response to the question concerning the number of truck
shipments out and shipments received, seven firms reported
20 to 25 per week, eleven firms reported a volume of 50 to
65 per week, while six firms reported 100 or more (two were
around 200 to 250 and two others were at ^-00 to 500 per week).

Nearly half of the firms indicated that they were experiencFour
ing some type of problem in respect to transportation.
firms indicated street access problems - one in Centralia and
Bloomsburg and two in Berwick (Others are known to be experiencing the same problem, particularly in Berwick and Bloomsburg.
Generally, it is a matter of Inadequate street widths,
tight corners, and traffic congestion on the access routes to
"In-town" industries.)
Another four firms were not satisfied with the degree of
reliability of trucking firms - most often citing damaged
Three firms felt the available air freight service
goods.
was not adequate.
The following three difficulties were each
mentioned by two firms: 1) package facilities for bus shipments at Bloomsburg, 2) shipping to western Pennsylvania,
and 3) inability to obtain "thru-rates."
(The latter two
items are more of a regulatory concern than of community
development.) One firm located in a rural portion of the
county is experiencing difficulty in getting truck service
and one firm felt rail service was Inadequate.

CONCLUSIONS
For a "rural county", Columbia is rather well provided with
transportation facilities and services.
The central section
of the county is well served by bus although facilities for
handling shipments need improvement.
Service could be better

20 -

in the southern portion and It is entirely lacking in the large
northern section.

While there are some trucking difficulties, apparently due to
regulatory factors, the physical aspect of this service is genConnections to the Philadelphia area could be
erally good.
more direct and a number of "bottle-necks" need correction
within the communities of Berwick and Bloomsburg.
All of the county' s developed areas are served by at least one
railroad except Centralia, which has no industries needing such
service at present.
Industrial development between Centralia
and Mount Carmel may require service in the future.
Rail
service should be more readily available for shippers with
less than car-load volumes, however, not much change can be
expected in this regard until overall rail utilization increases
to the point that it is practical to reactivate freight stations.
There is no question that air service could be more readily
The question is whether or not there would be enough
available.
The fairly
volume to support increased facilities and services.
high number of firms using air freight service in the county
Greater availtends to answer the question in the affirmative.
ability would likely stimulate greater utilization.
Since the
Bloomsburg field cannot be expanded and since the Berwick field
is at the eastern extreme of the area, there seems to be a case
developing for a larger, centrally located "county airport."

Although the highway network and the private passenger automobile are important to the county' s overall transportation picture, (there are nearly 10,000 vehicles, mostly automobiles
traveling U.S. Route 11 daily between Berwick and Bloomsburg 80^ of which have local origins and destinations) they have
This is done in
not been examined in detail in this study.
the companion background study titled, "Major Thoroughfares."
Solutions to as many as possible of the problems and deficiencies brought to light by this study will be developed in the
"Plan Phase" of the Columbia County Comprehensive Planning
Program.

ROLE OF TRANSPORTATION IN SHAPING DEVELOPMENT
The townsltes of colonial America owe much to the early develMany settlements developed
opment of the transportation system.
at or near the locale of a major interruption in the flow of
traffic, such as a waterfall on the river, or a body of water
to be crossed; the end of the railroad tracks or canal, where
it was necessary to change to another type of carrier, such as
river boat to horse and cart; or at the intersection of routes
where freight and passengers were transferred to other routes.
It was usually necessary to provide some accommodation for
drivers, passengers, and freight handlers while cargoes were
Since it was
being transferred from one carrier to another.
the practice not to travel at night, an inn would often be
established at these points for the convenience of the travelers
In many cases these inns
and also for people living nearby.
The transportation
became .the nuclei of a larger community.
centers soon became the logical market place of the surrounding countryside and attracted other industries - grist mills,
foundaries, and the like.
As other methods of travel were developed, they logically connected with these established centers of economic activity and
in addition, established new townsites at locations necessary
For instance, the railto provide for their special needs.
roads required fueling and water stops at frequent intervals,
and at these points, a freight station was often established
Hence, a small community would
to become a point of transfer.
Similar developments occurred along the waterways
develop.
at locks, fueling stops, or landings with the first residents
often being employees of the transportation company.

The physical designs of the early townsites adapted themselves
to the existing travel routes and types of vehicles.
For
example, the local street pattern often incorporated existing
railways and many communities were proud of the "iron horse"
belching black smoke down a major thoroughfare or through
While the tracks are
the middle of the business district.
no longer in the street, the terminal yards and freight
stations are, unfortunately, still in the fringe areas of
many cities' central business districts.

In the early days of our Nation, people had to live relatively
close to the place where they worked, thus forming compact
communities.
Mass transportation changed this considerably,
and had a great deal to do with the form and size of our preFirst, the inter-urban and suburban trolleys
sent urban areas.
and railroads freed people from the necessity of living within
walking distance of their work; they could then live close to
any of the transit lines radiating from the urban centers.
Later, the development of the bus and private automobile per-

A-1

nillted people to ioca.o ..imost anjrwhere,

from central city to

rural area.
Sose forms of transit systems are rather inflexible, particularBuses are more flexible;
ly rail, air and trackless trolley.
Once a
however, even their routes cannot be changed freely.
change
the
riding
bus route is established, it is difficult to
retention
habits of passengers, and the social pressures for
of a route usually require that it remain in the first estabAlso a bus cannot be operated freely on all
lished location.
streets because of the necessity of maintaining a minimum
density of population before a route can become profitable, or
because the street is too narrow, or the turning movement too

awkward
The use of mass transportation in any Metropolitan Area reduces
the number of private automobiles which would otherwise enter
the central business districts, thus reducing the number of
parking spaces needed, and making more efficient use of existThis
ing street space, particularly for moving traffic.
strengthens the downtown area and helps stablize property
values therein.
The traditional role of moving the mass of people to business
centers or industrial plants by way of public transit has
suffered from the severe competition offered by the private
automobile, particularly since World War II, and has undergone
a drastic change resulting in a marked decrease in the number
Despite these losses, there is still need for
of passengers.
a good public transit system in any urban area for those who
do not drive or own an automobile including those with physical
Infirmities, "for one-car families," and to keep the sheer
No form of
volume of automobiles within manageable limits.
transportation is more costly than the automobile, not only In
terms of operation, but also in terms of the facilities and
space they require.
The rapidly expanding interstate highway system will likely
establish, in the traditional way, new centers of economic
activity near ma;3or interchanges with the establishment of
shopping centers, industrial parks, and residential subdivisions,
locations which may later develop as satellite towns as occurred
at many former rail and canal interchange points.

A-2

w
h^

AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT
One of the principal functions of a planning commission Is the
proper location of airfields in the Land Use and Transportation
Plans.
In this area, the locations have already been established
and have been functioning for several years.
However, that is
not the entire problem, there is also the matters of whether or
not the existing facilities are adequate now and for the future,
of proper surface transportation to the facilities, of zoning
of adjacent property, and of the probability of new types of
aircraft to be accommodated.

Classification of Airports
Airports are logically classified by the types of aircraft they
can accommodate and the services they can give to the public.
The smallest type are variously called "community" or "secondary"
airports; these usually do not have paved runways and are intendThe "local" airport is larger, pered for light planes o^ly.
mitting transport airplanes of the DC-3 type and executive
planes.
The "trunk" airports are designed to serve the major
airline routes up to 1,000 miles.
These are fully equipped
airports having paved runways, lights, and instrument landing
The big "continental" airports are required by the
facilities.
large cities and Important junctions on the major trunk lines
serving continental flights up to 2,000 miles.
The largest are
the "intercontinental" airfields which are intended to serve
transoceanic, transcontinental, or intercontinental flights.
Airport Types
Federal Aviation Agency

Designation

Runway Length

Secondary (Community)
Feeder (Local)
Trunk
Continental
Intercontinental
Intercontinental Express

Below 3,200 feet
3,201-^,200
^,201-6,000
6,001-7,500
7,501-10,500
7,501-10,500 feet

The runway length is the principal determinant in classifying
These dimensions are not precise, but fall within
an airport.
a range as shown on the preceding table.
The Federal Aviation
Agency then corrects them for elevation, gradient of the runway, the prevailing temperatures, and finally specifies the
types and loadings of commercial aircraft that may operate
from any given runway, and factors that affect the operation
of the airfield.

A-3

Location Fac^ jTs of Airports
The small "community" airfields require very little land and
are more readily fitted to the Land Use Plan, whereas the intercontinental airports, with runways up to two miles in length,
may require as much as eight square miles, and in those cases
where it is necessary to buy sufficient land to protect the
The location and area
approach zone, even more is required.
selected should be large enough to provide for sufficient expansion to insure that the original investment is not lost.
New airfields must respect the air rights surrounding existing
community - 1 mile; secondary - 2
fields, estimated to be;
miles; local and trunk
3 miles; and continental and intercontinental - h miles.

Because of the rapidly changing technologies in the aircraft
industry, it would be difficult to predict what type of airHelicopters are becoming
field will be needed in the future.
increasingly more important and economical on short runs, and
the ducted aircraft and vertical take-off craft may be developed to a point vjhere Caej are feasible for widespread use.
The requirements for these types are considerably different
from existing piston and turbine types.
The accessibility of the airfield is also of major importance
Maximum driving time between the airport and
in the location.
Central Business District should be thirty minutes, or it
begins to lost its attractiveness in terms of over-all travel
time.

The use of land in the surrounding areas should be carefully
considered, for airfields are noisy and may detract from reOn the other hand, they could
sidential property values.
Because of the
enhance the value of industrial districts.
noise and the possible danger of crashes during take-off and
landing, great care should be exercised to prevent the construction of any object that would either directly or indirectly obstruct the use of the runway and require the
The runways should be
abandonment of the public investment.
located to take advantage of any natural feature which would
tend to make the approach easier, and conversely, they should
not be placed where chimneys, towers, and utility lines project into the approach zones, or topographic conditions make
the approach difficult.

Airport Zoning
There is a space package which surrounds every airport which
can be used to ensure the maximum safety of the airways and
to protect the public investment represented by the airfield
as well as surrounding properties and the lives of individuals

A-1+

The airfield can
There are two ways of doing this.
nearby.
be enlarged until it includes all the land necessary for full
protection (this is extremely expensive and would require
The alternative is for the commany square miles of land).
munity to regulate the use of land and the heights of perThis is important
mitted structures through airport zoning.
not only in respect to planning for new facilities, but for
existing airfields as well.
The Federal Aviation Agency and the State Aeronautical Commission have desirable space standards for each airport, and the
zoning ordinance would establish height restrictions of a reasonable nature, that will not encroach upon this restricted
This would mean that proposed towers
area. (See Footnote)
and super-elevated structures that extend into the restricted
space would not be permitted, but any structure of normal
height would be permitted according to the zoning classification.
The ordinance may also restrict the land to those uses which
are not affected adversely by the noise and potential danger
Residential users would probably be annoyed by
surrounding it.
industry
would not be adversely affected and
whereas,
noise,
to be close to the airfield.
advantageous
it
even
find
some

Meeting places such as schools or churches should not be
located near the extension of the end of the runway, because
of potential danger.

State regulations establish a strip 300 feet wide
Footnote
(The measurement begins 150
along both sides of all runways.
Also, a "zone" extends
runway.)
feet from the centerline of the
(For each
to
runway
at
a
20
1 ratio.
out from the end of the
Factwenty
feet.)
back
must
be
set
foot of height, a building
FAA
regulaadhere
to
must
ilities making use of federal funds
Their controls also use the 20 to 1 ratio, beginning
tions.
On instrument approach
200 feet from the end of the runway.
On side restrictions,
runways, FAA calls for a 50 to 1 ratio.
the federal government applies a ratio of 7 to 1 while the
state has none.
;

A-5

Any zoning ordinance should take Into consideration the needs
of each airport within its jurisdiction, and the ordinance
should be constructed so as to give maximum safety to the
users of the airport and to the occupants of the surrounding
land, and to protect the Investment and the adjoining development.
At the present time, no zoning ordinance explicitly applies
The only protection to the
to the airfields in the area.
public safety and the public investment represented by the
airfield is a provision of the State Law, "Airport ObstrucPenalty (Act of July 27, 1953? P-L- 6^1. as amended,
tions:
2 PS 1^58-ll+59, and as amended in 1955 and 1957)" which
establishes approach areas at the ends of each runway and
provides penalties for the erection and maintenance of any
structure which projects into the approach area.

Also of Interest for future consideration is the Airport
Zoning Act (Act of April 17, 19^5, P-L. 237, 2PS 1550-1563),
which is enabling legislation enacted in response to the need
to protect the airport users and occupants of land in the
vicinity from the hazards to flight created by the Improper use
The Act declares - "(a) that
of land surrounding the airport.
the creation or establishment of an airport hazard is a public
nuisance and Injury to the community served by the airport in
question, (b) that it is, therefore, necessary in the Interest
of the public health, public safety and general welfare that
the creation or establishment of airport hazards be prevented,
and (c) that this should be accomplished to the extent legally
possible by exercise of the police power without compensation.
It is further declared that both the prevention of the creation or establishment of airport hazards, and the elimination,
removal, alteration, mitigation or marking and lighting of
existing airport hazards, are public purposes for which political subdivisions may raise and expend public funds and acquire
land or property interests therein."
The Act states that "every political subdivision, having an
airport hazard area within its territorial limits, may adopt,
administer and enforce under the police power and in the
manner and upon the conditions hereinafter prescribed, airport
zoning regulations for such airport hazard area, which regulations may divide such area into zones, and within such zones
specify the land uses permitted, and regulate and restrict the
height to which structures and trees may be erected or allowed
to grow."
The Act also goes on to provide for the creation of a joint
airport zoning board which would have the same powers, and to
provide for the incorporation of the airport zoning regulations
into a comprehensive zoning ordinance at the appropriate time.

A-6

The adoption of "airport zoning", whether as a separate regulation
or as a part of a comprehensive zoning ordinance, should be
undertaken by all communities in which an airport is located as
well as by any community having territory located in the vicinity
of such a facility.

A-7

BIBLIOGRAPHY and ACKIJOWLEDGEMENTS

HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA;
Columbia County Historical Society

COLUMBIA COUNTY TRANSPORTATION SURVEY;
Columbia County Planning Commission

MOTOR CARRIER SCHEDULE CARDS, and PUBLIC UTILITY LAW;
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING COMMON CARRIERS, AND
CONTRACT CARRIERS FOR TRANSPORTATION OF PROPERTY BY
MOTOR VEHICLE;
U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission

AMERICAN MOTOR CARRIER DIRECTORY;
American Trucking Association
(Courtesy of the Interstate Commerce Commission)

TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENTS, CITIES, AND PLANNING;
American Society of Planning Officials

We would also like to extend our appreciation to the bus
and rail companies operating within Columbia County, the
owners and operators of airport facilities within and
about the area, the industries of the county and the Chambers
of Commerce of Berwick and Bloomsburg without whose cooperation
and assistance this study would not have been possible.

fH-

I
i
I

P
D