Bus Rapid Transit Line’s Success Leading Expansion Plans 

(Albany, NY) – The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) announced today that ridership on BusPlus has grown to more than 1.5 million boardings in just its second year of operation. Transit ridership on Route 5, the Capital Region’s most travelled corridor, now produces nearly 4 million trips annually. BusPlus ridership represents 10% of the more than 15.5 million trips taken on CDTA during the 2013 fiscal year, and the total boardings represent CDTA’s highest ridership in more than 20 years.

 “BusPlus has quickly become the most popular route in our system,” said CDTA Chairwoman Denise Figueroa. “CDTA’s Bus Rapid Transit service has heightened awareness of public transit benefits and opened the door to new business partnerships that get people to work all while helping drive the Capital Region economy forward.” 

BusPlus, Upstate New York’s first bus rapid transit service, was introduced on the Route 5 corridor in April 2011 connecting the municipalities of Albany, Colonie, Niskayuna and Schenectady. Customer enhancements followed the initial rollout, providing real time passenger information, transit signal priority at busy intersections, improved customer stations and the addition of complimentary WiFi on every trip. 

Based on BusPlus’ initial success, CDTA is advancing plans for additional BRT routes to serve the region’s busiest corridors. Two locations under consideration for expansion are the River corridor (along Route 32) and the Washington/Western Avenue corridor. 

The River corridor service would operate between downtown Cohoes and downtown Albany operating through the cities of Lansingburgh, Troy, Watervliet and Menands. Washington/Western service would travel along the 8-mile route connecting Crossgates Mall, area universities and major activity centers. Both lines would provide riders with additional direct connections into Downtown Albany.  

Customers looking for more information regarding BusPlus or other transit services can call the Customer Service Center at (518) 482-8822 or log onto www.cdta.org. Customer Service Representatives are on duty seven days a week from 6am-7pm on weekdays, from 8am-6pm Saturdays and 8am-5pm on Sundays and holidays. To stay connected with CDTA’s latest initiatives, please visit facebook.com/CDTAiride or follow us on twitter.com (@CDTA).

More about CDTA’s BusPlus service:

 BusPlus is the service brand name behind CDTA’s growing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network. Bus Rapid Transit provides limited stop service along the busiest transit corridors in the Capital Region complete with sleek, efficient buses, large, comfortable stations and enhanced customer amenities. BRT service rolled out April 2011, connecting Albany, Colonie, Niskayuna and Schenectady. The service runs through the communities of Colonie and Niskayuna where 15% of Capital Region people live and where 30% of jobs are located within ½ mile. 

Bus Rapid Transit offers flexibility for communities with sprawling patterns of development (like CDTA’s four county service area) where transportation needs are more difficult to address than in a central business district. BRT service provides many of light rail’s largest benefits like special vehicles, fare prepayment, and segregated right of way at a fraction of the cost.