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In 1978, the BARTA Special Services Division was established when the Berks County Commissioners ordered thirty-three publicly funded social services agencies to give up their transportation systems. The commissioners realized that by consolidating everything under BARTA, they were able to provide more transportation for more people at a tremendous saving. This specialized transportation system was the first of its kind in the state of Pennsylvania and one of only a handful in operation in the United States at the time. In 1991, work began on the removal of the Penn Street pedestrian mall between 5th and 6th Streets. Funded by the Federal Transit Administration, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the City of Reading, the Penn Square Transportation and Development Project was completed in 1993. BARTA partnered with SEPTA (the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) to study the feasibility of restoring rail service along the line from Philadelphia to Reading. The results of the study indicated that the service was feasible. The project then moved to the next phase, the Major Investment Study and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (MIS/DEIS). Although there have been delays, the MIS/DEIS is near completion and preparations are being made to advance the project to the next phase which is preliminary engineering. The BARTA Transportation Center (BTC) opened at 8th and Cherry Streets in downtown Reading in March of 2002. This serves as a central transfer point for most of the bus routes and has a passenger waiting area with an automated bus arrival and departure system, along with many other passenger amenities. Included within this building there is a parking garage for monthly permit parking, a community police station, and potential retail space. Future plans for BARTA include the renovation of its headquarter building at 11th & Exeter Streets, the construction of a Park-N-Transit garage near the Franklin Station and, possibly, the restoration of the Franklin Station.