October 01, 2013
Four Year College Joins Authority’s Successful Mobility Program
Albany, NY – Maria College and the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) today announced a transportation partnership that will provide Maria College students with unlimited rides on CDTA buses during the 2013-14 academic year. The partnership provides students unlimited rides on CDTA’s regular route, Northway Xpress and STAR paratransit services for improved access to school, work and recreational activities.
“As a commuter college, Maria serves students throughout the Capital Region and beyond. This new partnership between Maria College and the CDTA will provide greater convenience for our students and is a benefit we are pleased to be able to offer,” said Maria President Dr. Lea Johnson.
Students can travel anywhere CDTA services operate by swiping their student identification card into the bus farebox, which is programmed to recognize the IDs and record ridership. Maria College is directly served by Route #6 (Second Avenue/Whitehall Road), Route #13 (New Scotland Avenue) and Route #138 (Allen/Livingston.)
“We’re pleased to welcome Maria College to our universal access program that improves access for Capital Region colleges and businesses” said CDTA Chairman David Stackrow. “Students get a reliable way to get to classes, internships and services, while Maria College has another student recruitment tool. This is also an excellent opportunity for CDTA to further regional mobility and strengthen our role as an economic development driver in the Region.”
CDTA’s Universal Access (unlimited ride) program now accounts for 30% of its annual ridership which is expected to surpass 16 million boardings this year. CDTA has crafted partnerships with Albany College of Pharmacy, Branford Hall Career Institute, The College of Saint Rose, Hudson Valley Community College, RPI, Sage Colleges, Schenectady County Community College, Siena College, Skidmore College and the University of Albany. The programs are customized to serve institution transit needs with payment arrangements based on the level of ridership.
For more information regarding CDTA universal access arrangements or other CDTA service, visit www.cdta.org.
