July 28, 2022
Outreach and Online Opportunities for Participation to Run Through August 26
ALBANY, NY (July 28, 2022) The Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) along with the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) are in the final stages of developing a Bus Lane Feasibility Study, to improve the reliability of transit in the Capital District. Through an ongoing, iterative process involving the public and community stakeholders, the study has investigated the feasibility, needed infrastructure improvements, and potential operating policies for bus lanes within CDTA’s fixed route service area. Bus lanes separate buses from other vehicles to allow them to travel faster, increase on-time performance, and get thousands of riders to their destinations more quickly every day.
Public engagement has been a key component of the project and is fundamental to the implementation and eventual success of the recommendations. In the first public survey, seventy (70%) percent responded that they strongly prefer giving buses extra green time over minimizing delay for private vehicles. Seventy-six (76%) percent responded that they prefer investing in bus priority infrastructure over investing in more or wider roads. Additionally, sixty-one (61%) percent of respondents prefer removing parking or reducing parking time for bus lanes over maintaining parking or adding more parking.
Now in the later stages of the feasibility study, CDTC and CDTA are seeking the public’s input and feedback on bus lane concepts developed in the Cities of Albany, Schenectady, and Troy. There are multiple opportunities for the public to learn about the study and provide input including an online survey, a public open house, and pop-up events.
Sandy Misiewicz, CDTC Executive Director, said, “We are thrilled to share the ideas generated in this study with the region and look forward to hearing what people think. Improving the reliability of the transit system is key to attracting and retaining riders so the study goes beyond bus lanes to consider technologies that have achieved results elsewhere”.
“We are encouraged by the public participation and feedback gathered so far,” said CDTA CEO, Carm Basile. “This process is the first step in creating a more robust CDTA in the Capital Region. A bus lane feasibility study will allow us to get the important information we need to continue to grow our system and provide even more mobility choices to customers and the community.”
Community members can participate in the online survey through the link provided on the project website at www.buslanestudy.com/survey. The survey is open and will close at midnight on August 26, 2022.
The survey is being used in conjunction with other outreach and feedback opportunities to gather input from the communities and stakeholders. Project team members will be at several pop-up events to gather feedback from the community and promote the study, including:
- Troy Waterfront Farmers’ Market, Monument Square, Downtown Troy, Saturday, July 30, 9:00am – 2:00pm
- Public Open House at Albany Public Library Main Branch, 161 Washington Ave, Albany, Tuesday, August 2, 4:00pm – 7:00pm
- Schenectady Greenmarket, City Hall, Sunday August 7 from 10am – 2pm
Please visit www.buslanestudy.com to stay up to date on the project and share your thoughts and ideas.