This mylar front rollsign was removed
from Chautauqua Area Regional Transit
System's Fordcutaway #C188. It is dated
June 18, 1999 and has 22 exposures.
It's sign tag is shown below.

This sign was donated to Rollsign
Gallery by Peter Huffman. Thank you!
Retired Chautauqua Area Regional Transit System Ford
cutaway #C188, still displaying the rollsign to the left, is seen
in a scrap yard in western New York state on June 19, 2020.
(Photo by Peter Huffman. Used with permission.)
Rollsigns from Chautauqua County, NY
Including service within Jamestown and Dunkirk, NY
Transit in the area that is Chautauqua County first began in Jamestown on June 19, 1884 with the Jamestown Street
Railway. Initially starting with horse drawn cars, the system was electrified in 1891. Over time, better roads, car
ownership and expansion of bus services cut into company profits, and in January of 1938, the streetcar system was
discontinued. The cars became cottages on Chautauqua Lake. The Jamestown Motor Bus Transportation Company,
under the ownership of the Buffalo Transit Company based out of Erie County, New York, took over and replaced the
discontinued streetcar service. They provided service to the city of Jamestown until 1962, when the newly formed
Jamestown Area Regional Transit System (JARTS) took over operations. Along with the City of Jamestown, additional
suburban services to Falconer and Lakewood were offered. During this time in 1977, Chautauqua Area Rural Transit
System was formed or provide transportation options to the rural areas of Chautauqua County, with Mayville,
Jamestown and Dunkirk/Fredonia as connecting points between routes. On July 1, 1993 JARTS's services were
contracted out to Progressive Transportation Services based out of Elmira, NY. During the contracted operation, the
city of Jamestown made efforts to remove the operating subsidy given to the system. Initiatives were also being made
to improve the bottom line by using smaller, more accessible buses, as well as expanding the service area to attract
more passengers. Another recommendation was made to reinstate Saturday service, which had previously been
eliminated. On September 30, 1996, contracted service was discontinued after a labor dispute with drivers. Following
a short period of no local transit in Jamestown while the labor issues were worked out, service was reinstated and a
new local service in Dunkirk began operating, now under the renamed Chautauqua Area Regional Transit System.
This mylar front rollsign was removed
from the Ford cutaway seen in the
lower photo. This Transign printed
rollsign has no print date on it.
It has 15 exposures.

This sign was donated to Rollsign
Gallery by Peter Huffman. Thank you!
This retired Chautauqua Area Regional Transit System Ford
cutaway is the bus the rollsign to the right came from. Above, It is
seen in a scrap yard in western New York state on June 19, 2020.
(Photo by Peter Huffman. Used with permission.)
COACH & EQUIPMENT-CARTS
PO.NO.52477
D3108-MA FRONT UNITS2554-2563
6-18-99  TRANSIGN