November 14, 2012
Students To Ride CDTA Services with ID Swipe
(Albany, NY) – The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) and Branford Hall Career Institute announced that the Institute has joined the universal access program, which allows students access to the entire CDTA route network using ID cards.
“Our partnership with Branford Hall Career Institute brings universal access to a new group of riders,” said CDTA Chief Executive Officer Carm Basile. “The Institute offers programs that appeal to a wide variety of workers, which is a perfect addition to our network as more than 70% of our customers travel to and from work.”
The Albany campus offers a medical assistant program along with medical billing and coding courses. The Institute provides a hands-on experience featuring 11 laboratories and classrooms. The universal access program allows students to swipe their student ID cards to ride any CDTA trunk bus, neighborhood, shuttle routes and express services, as well as STAR paratransit service and Northway (NX) Xpress commuter services.
“The students of Branford Hall Career Institute are very thankful for the opportunity CDTA is providing by adding the additional routes and access,” said Branford Hall Career Institute Campus Director John Nieckarz. “This will allow our students to continue to achieve their educational goals and to have “piece of mind” that comes from having reliable transportation.”
CDTA has universal access partnerships with eight educational institutions in the Capital Region; University of Albany, Branford Hall Career Institute, the College of Saint Rose, RPI, Russell Sage College, Siena College, Skidmore College and Schenectady County Community College. Ridership from CDTA’s universal access partnerships with area universities comprises more than 15% of annual ridership. The universal access program has also been adopted by the Capital Region business community as ShopRite Supermarkets became CDTA’s first corporate partner earlier this year.
