The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority (EMTA) has expanded its vibrant French Street mural through a creative partnership with the Erie Center for Arts and Technology (ECAT), shining a spotlight on both young artists and a longtime employee who has dedicated more than 50 years to the organization.

Local high school students involved in ECAT and the Greater Erie Community Action Committee’s (GECAC) Earn + Learn program are leading the mural’s expansion. This marks the third installment of EMTA’s growing mural project, each phase created by local artists and ECAT students, honoring past, present, and future EMTA employees who serve Erie County.

Among those honored in the new section is Mike Will, a familiar face in Erie’s public transportation system who has worked with EMTA for over five decades.

“We have dedicated this mural to our staff that has served, and will continue to serve Erie,” said EMTA CEO Jeremy Peterson. “But we want to recognize Mike Will for his half a century commitment to Erie’s public transportation system. Moving forward, we have named this street entrance ‘Mike Will Way’.”

Located at 14th and French Street along a primary bus entrance, the mural is visible to passengers traveling daily through the area, now known as Mike Will Way, and stands as a tribute to the impact of public service, community art, and mentorship in Erie.