Capital District Transportation Authority officials are pleased with the new initial reception for their BusPlus rapid transit service on the Route 5-Central Avenue corridor and are actively pursuing plans for a second rapid transit corridor between downtown Albany and Crossgates Mall.
Ridership in the corridor served by BusPlus between Schenectady and Albany was up 10 percent in April, officials said, though that included two weeks when BusPlus was free as part of a launch promotion. The standard fare for the service is $2.
“The service has caught the attention of the community, most of whom are non-riders,” CDTA Executive Director Carm Basile said Wednesday.
BusPlus was launched with great fanfare in early April, with the goal of increasing mass transit ridership in the region by moving people more quickly. The Central Avenue corridor includes about 25 percent of CDTA’s total ridership, or about 3.5 million riders a year.
BusPlus provides express service between downtown Albany and downtown Schenectady, making only 18 stops and taking less than an hour. Local buses in the busy corridor, which includes Colonie Center and other commercial destinations, make 90 stops, so the new service provides a faster trip.
CDTA has spent a decade of time and $16.5 million launching BusPlus, which includes new stations and diesel-electric hybrid buses that are painted to appear different from CDTA’s other buses.
Categories: Schenectady County
