March 26, 2014
Albany, N.Y. (March 26, 2014) - The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) Board of Directors adopted the fiscal year 2015 Budget and Capital Plan at today’s monthly meeting at the Rensselaer Rail Station.
The $78.4 million dollar spending plan is balanced and features slight increases to accommodate growing service needs and operational expenses. CDTA is on pace to finish the current fiscal year with near record ridership of more than 16 million customers. The plan supports service enhancements on CDTA’s busiest routes, development of transit centers across the region and the introduction of new fare payment technology.
"We are proud to once again submit a balanced budget for fiscal year 2015," said CDTA Chairman David M. Stackrow. "It's the commitment of our Board and attention to detail by our employees that help to make a balanced budget and operating plan possible. This year's budget is more than numbers, it is a road map that will allow CDTA to pave the way for innovative service expansion and support increased ridership."
At a glance, personnel costs, purchased transportation and fuel make up a majority of the budget while the remainder includes materials and supplies, maintenance services, transportation costs and utilities.
CDTA’s approved $20.3 million dollar Capital Plan continues the Authority’s strategic fleet replacement program, which will include the purchase of two articulated (bendable) buses to address consistent demand along its busiest routes. Funding has also been earmarked to further CDTA’s 40-mile BRT route network, with more than $7 million in engineering and construction for the Washington-Western and River Corridor lines.
You can view the complete Budget and Capital Plan here: http://www.cdta.org/about_annual_budget.php
Other CDTA News:
CDTA ridership continued to increase in February with 1.35 million boardings, up 1% from the same time last year. Fiscal year to date, ridership is 5% ahead of the same period last year with the potential to surpass the record 16.38 rides taken by the Capital Region during fiscal year 1983-1984. The increases are fueled by redesigned services, a growing partner base and universal access relationships.
The Board of Directors approved the installation of 25 security cameras at nine Bus Plus locations along the Route 5 corridor in the City of Albany. The cameras will be monitored by the Albany Police Department as they join the network that has already been installed along Route 5 in Schenectady.
On the technology front, CDTA has secured a contract with CooCoo, Inc. of Huntington, NY to allow for the development of mobile applications which will increase functionality before the release of its mobile ticketing application in 2015. CDTA’s iRide application was redesigned for the iPhone in January 2014 and the Android version will be available soon.
CDTA’s Board of Directors meets on the final Wednesday of every month at the Rensselaer Rail Station. 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, over 650 people work to deliver a transit system that transports more than 55,000 customers each weekday.
