August 12, 2011
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Every day, the wheels on these CDTA buses go round and round to bring people where they need to go. Even people you might not suspect.
Postal worker Harold Lawton said, "I take the bus. I walk up a couple of blocks here and the bus picks me up and I'm dropped off close to where I start."
In fact, for the last 19 years, Lawton has made his way to his mail route in Albany by hopping on public transportation. He makes 900 individual stops to deliver mail and says riding the bus just makes sense and costs less cents.
Lawton said, "At the time, there's not a lot of parking there. Also it saves the post office and gas and wear and tear on vehicles."
And take Albany Police Officer Joseph Acquaviva, for instance, another loyal bus rider. As a beat officer for the Neighborhood Engagement Unit, he says he needs to be able to get from point A to point B the fastest way he can.
Acquaviva said, "It's one of the things that are routine. They're at their stops when they're supposed to be, so it's convenient."
And the buses aren't just convenient for those who serve the public, they're also convenient for students trying to get to school.
Judith Agyekum, a Mildred Elley student, said, "It's saved me a whole lot of money and a whole lot of time, so I feel fortunate it's here."
And Agyekum isn't the only one taking a seat on the magic school bus. In 2008, Mildred Elley and Austin's School of Spa Technology moved to a location right behind a bus stop on Central Avenue. As a result, enrollment has increased about 50 percent.
Faith Takes, the CEO of Empire Education Corporation, said, "To be able to get on a bus, cut your transportation time down and get here and be delivered right to the front door and picked up at the front door, you don't get more convenient than that."
So whether you're a postal worker, police officer or student, these days, it seems pretty much everyone is on board with taking the bus.
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