It was another stalemate in Carbon County when it came to a proposed bus route that would bring residents in four communities to the lake.

On Thursday, the board of commissioners again split the vote 1-1 that would allow LANTA to implement a beach bus route in Nesquehoning, Lansford, Summit Hill and Jim Thorpe. Commissioner Chris Lukasevich voted in favor of the bus, while Commissioner Rocky Ahner again voted no. Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein was absent for a second week so the tie could not be broken and the motion again failed.

Prior to the vote, Ahner again raised his concerns about the policy that allows children 12 and older to ride the bus without an adult.

AJ Jordan, manager of planning and scheduling for LANTA, who attended the meeting via Zoom, said that from the first motion last week, LANTA would have the same drivers for the route and they would be able to ask for age verification of children. Parents would also be able to tell the drivers to not allow their child off the bus except at the lake.

Ahner said that while this is a good start, he still feels more work needs to be done before he is comfortable putting the bus route into operation.

Lukasevich, who has proposed the route, said that children all over the country are riding public transportation without an adult and there haven’t been significant incidences in these case.

“Data shows children can be responsible when they hit seventh grade,” he said. “ ... Ultimately, we need to empower our parents to make the decision about what is best for our children. We don’t need big government. We don’t need more regulation.”

The motion will now come up again in the coming weeks after more discussion takes place.

The proposed route would include three trips to the lake on a Saturday, beginning at 4:30 a.m. in Nesquehoning. It would then also include a 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. pickup in that borough. Lansford and Summit Hill would be shortly after the first pickup before arriving at Mauch Chunk Lake. The bus would then travel to Jim Thorpe Area High School for the final pickup.

Three return trips would then take place throughout the day.

Jordan said last week that this is a fixed route and would cost $2 a trip or $4 a day.

In other lake matters, the county is still looking for lifeguards for Mauch Chunk Lake this summer.

During times when there are not enough lifeguards on duty, a gate fee cannot be charged and the lake becomes swim at your own risk.

For more information or to apply, visit www.carboncountypa.gov/services/employment_opportunities.