January 27, 2016
Authority on Pace to Meet Or Exceed Last Year’s Record Total
ALBANY, N.Y. (January 27, 2016) The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) announced ridership continues to increase despite decreasing gas prices at the monthly Board of Directors meeting. System ridership for the final month of 2015 totaled 1.425 million boardings, which is 1% higher than the previous December.
“We knew it would be challenging to top last year’s all-time record ridership level but I’m pleased to say that we are on pace to be at or above last year’s 17 million ridership mark,” said David M. Stackrow CDTA Board Chairman. “This illustrates the popularity of our services and the capacity of our system.”
December 2015 ridership pushed CDTA’s fiscal year-to-date total to nearly 13 million boardings. With just three months left in the current fiscal year, CDTA expects ridership to surpass last year’s record of 17 million boardings. This would mark the sixth consecutive year where ridership exceeded the prior year.
Stackrow said, “These numbers are encouraging, given the drop in fuel prices and the relatively dry winter we have seen so far. This combination of factors and a route network that delivers streamlined and convenient service has helped to keep our ridership strong.”
The latest round of service changes took effect on Sunday, January 24 and included a series of service enhancements on some of our largest routes in Schenectady. The changes increase capacity and make service more convenient for customers across CDTA’s four county service area.
In Other News:
A five year contract was awarded to Shepard Bros., Inc. of Canandaigua, NY to purchase replacement paratransit (STAR) vehicles. The contract allows for CDTA to purchase up to eight vehicles per year for the duration of the contract. Shepard Bros., Inc. also meets all of the current FTA requirements for Buy America.
The CDTA Board of Directors meets on the last Wednesday of every month at the CDTA Headquarters in Albany. Board meetings are open to the public and streamed live at www.cdta.org
ABOUT CDTA: The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) was created in 1970 by the New York State Legislature as a public benefit corporation to provide regional transportation services by rail, bus, water and air. CDTA is the premier mobility provider in the Capital Region, providing local, express, commuter and bus rapid transit services. CDTA owns and operates the Rensselaer Rail and Saratoga Springs Train Stations. Today, nearly 650 people work to deliver a transit system that transports nearly 60,000 customers each weekday.