R.I.P. Route 471

There was a short side column article in Saturday's Saratogian announcing "service changes" for CDTA buses effective this Sunday, January 25th.   One of the changes affects the Saratoga Route 471 - Union Avenue bus.  Basically, this route will cease to exist at least until summer and, according to the CDTA web site, will become a seasonal route. 

This is no big deal to most people, because so very few people ever took this bus.  It was very rare for me to see any, and I mean any, people on this bus. I would try to take it to the YMCA when I could, and then I would run home.  It was an effective tool to ensure I would get a run in - hey there was only one way to get home after training at the Y and that was my feet.  I also once used their bike rack on the front and I enjoyed taking that ride and riding my bike home.  

The reality is, unfortunately, that so few people used this route and the last time I used the bus, maybe in early December, the bus driver told me I was the only person he ever saw at that particular bus stop.   It didn't take a genius to see the route wouldn't last.  The release also mentioned that there would also be "minor time adjustments" to the Route 473 Jefferson Avenue bus. 

Despite my understanding of the realities involved with the lack of ridership, I still have a huge problem with the decision.  Maybe this route would never work, but I feel that CDTA set it up for failure. CDTA took a transportation plan suitable for an urban area like Albany and tried shoehorning it into upscale Saratoga.  Gigantic city buses ran empty on a set schedule up and down Union Avenue over to the west side, and low and behold when it didn't work, CDTA pulled the plug.  I once told my neighbor about the bus, and he didn't even know about it.  He had cars all of his life and CDTA didn't try to encourage usage, so the bus was not even known to him. 

My point is:  What if CDTA got creative in Saratoga and tried some different things such as:

• Smaller buses with more flexible schedules and routes.
• Partnerships with downtown businesses, both horse tracks, the YMCA, the Amtrak station, the Farmers Market, downtown events such as the Victorian Stroll, and a host of others. This would be win-win for both entities. And by partnerships I mean joint promotions including discounts and other special efforts.
• Effective marketing and advertising - this means through unconventional means - not the same old same old.

Put a bus up and down Central Avenue in Albany and the masses will hop on, but that won't work in Saratoga.  I feel CDTA let us down, and it's more than just the loss of one bus route.  What this means to me is the loss of an opportunity to gain some momentum to make this community that much more pollution free, congestion free, and pedestrian friendly.  CDTA took a cookie cutter approach to bus service in Saratoga and at least one route failed miserably.  I am very disappointed and once again must say that CDTA let us down. 

Comments

[Ray Melleady]

Dan,

Thank you for your comments on the 471 line. CDTA has a number of service design guidelines that provide for an annual review of routes that perform at or below average for ridership. Typically, we look to improve market potential using some of the techniques that you suggest in your blog and perform extensive outreach to the business community prior to making adjustments to a relatively new route. However, this year we have been hit with significant reductions in revenue from the State of New York and Mortgage Recording Tax MRT both of which make up about 60% of CDTA's operating budget. These shortfalls need to be made up with increased revenue from passengers and service adjustments that minimize impact to the riding public. The route 471 was a candidate due to its low ridership and the absence of immediate market potential during the winter months.

We are advocating for additional funds that would permit improved access to transportation in the Capital Region and look forward to working with communities in the interim to do as much as we can with available funding. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this further - your comments and suggestions are appreciated.

[Dan]

Even though I am still disappointed with how the situation was handled, I nonetheless appreciate you taking the time out to explain the process and special circumstances. Some people in these positions are aloof and arrogant, but at least you make the effort to communicate with the public that your authority serves. I just hope that you keep your word and bring the route back this summer. Thank you again for reading and responding.