Capital District Transportation Authority

Infobox Bus transit
name = Capital District Transportation Authority

logo_size = 250

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image_size =
image_caption = CDTA Gillig Low Floor BRT hybrid #4013H in Schenectady, NY, on the 55 line in iRide branding.
company_slogan = It's my ride
parent =
founded = 1970
headquarters = 110 Watervliet Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
locale = Capital District
service_area = Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schectady counties
service_type = Local bus service
alliance =
routes = 60
destinations =
stops =
hubs =
stations =
lounge =
fleet = 295
ridership =
fuel_type = Diesel, Diesel-electric hybrid
operator = CDTA
(all except Northway Express)
Upstate Transit
(Northway Express only)
ceo = Raymond Melleady
website = [http://www.cdta.org www.cdta.org] The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) is a public benefit organization which provides transportation services to the Capital District of New York State (Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties). CDTA was formed in August in 1970 by a state act of government which also formed three similar agencies in Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo; CDTA took over the area's four private operators between 1971 and 1972. The function of CDTA is to operate public transportation as well as to operate two Amtrak stations in the service area (Albany-Rennselaer and Saratoga Springs). CDTA bus operators, dispatchers, and supervisory staff are organized in Local 1394 of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU).

Fixed route services

CDTA operates 60 different routes, many of which connect neighborhoods to downtowns or downtowns to shopping areas with six routes linking key towns together. Two routes, 11-SUNY Shuttle and 86-RPI Shuttle, are shuttle services for area universities which are also open to the public. Service mostly runs from 5:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m. weeknights, 6:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. Saturdays, and 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Sundays with the college routes running until 2:00 a.m. in Albany and Troy (with several RPI-only runs running until 4:00 a.m.).

Albany Division

Before CDTA, many of these routes belonged to the Albany-Nassau Bus Company (Routes 32/33) and United Traction. Buses run out of "Capital Depot" adjacent to CDTA's headquarters on 110 Watervliet Avenue in Albany.

Troy Division also operates parts of Routes 22, 24, and 29 with Albany Division and Route 70 with Schenectady Division as well as the ShuttleBee (see below).

On the drawing board is the purchase of five more buses, some or all of which are hybridcite web | last = Crowe | first = Kenneth C. II | year = 2006 | url = http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=451777&category=SARATOGA&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=2/17/2006 | title = CDTA bus service to grow in Saratoga style | publisher = Albany "Times-Union" | accessdate = 2006-03-14 | accessyear = ] , and the possible expansion of routes to areas currently not served by CDTA.

Other Services

huttles

Future Fleet

*2008 Gillig Low Floor T -40 Hybrid (replacement for 102AW3 311, is numbered 325H)

The Gillig buses are the second in a five-year deal between CDTA and Gillig.cite web | last = Durr | first = Eric | year = 2006 | url = http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2006/04/24/daily56.html?surround=lfn | title = CDTA board approves $8.3M bus deal | publisher = Capital District Business Review | accessdate = 2006-04-27 | accessyear = ] and will replace most of the 1996 Orion VI fleet.

Transit Development Plan

In 2005, CDTA commissioned a transit development plan [ [http://www.cdta.org/news/moving_changing.php transit development plan] ] in order to better fit the agency's services, much of which unchanged from its predecessors. Parts of this plan include the following:
*Replacing 1/12th of the CDTA fleet on a yearly basis rather than buying large orders at once, a move implemented starting in 2007 which will reduce the costs of maintaining an aging fleet.cite web | last = Woodruff | first = Cathy | year = 2006 | url = http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=466334&category=REGION&newsdate=3/30/2006 | title = CDTA budget aims to revitalize fleet | publisher = Albany "Times-Union" | accessdate = 2006-03-30 | accessyear = ]
*The replacement of all Orion VI buses by 2012 and of the NABI and NovaBus LFS buses by 2016 as well as the midlife overhaul of the NovaBus and NABI fleets (which have included the installation of LED destination signs).
*The expansion of service in Saratoga Springs, which took place in July 2007, plus further expansion into Saratoga County including the building of a garage in Saratoga Springs.
*Redrawing bus routes system wide to better serve ridership, starting with Schenectady-based routes in the second half of 2007.
*The implementation of a new three-digit route system, in which the first digit will serve as an indication of its base; this system is already in place in Saratoga Springs.

Bus Rapid Transit line on Route 5

The 2005 plan included the development of Bus Rapid Transit on the busy Route 5 corridor, in turn supplementing the current 55 bus (which is responsible for 20% of CDTA's ridership). Such a plan would also lead to a refocusing of the current routes 1 and 2 and potentially the current ShuttleFly (which would be extended to serve SUNY Albany and Crossgates Mall). Such a system could lead to the purchase of articulated buses for this line as well as for possibly CDTA's other busy routes. As of mid-2007, this part of the 2005 plan was placed on hold. [ [http://www.cdta.org/news/moving_changing.php transit development plan] ]

In early 2008, the CDTA announced that it was going forward with the Bus Rapid Transit line on Route 5, which will include twenty upgraded stations. [Cathy Woodruff, "CDTA rapid service advances: Bus transit line between Albany, Schenectady will have upgraded 'stations'", "Albany Times-Union", Jnauary 15, 2008, found at [http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=655230&category=REGION&newsdate=1/15/2008 Albany Times-Union story on Bus Rapid Transit line] . Accessed January 17, 2008.]

References

ee also

* Albany, New York
* Lark Street

External links

* [http://www.cdta.org CDTA Website]
* [http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/nebuses/rosters/albany.html CDTA Roster (as of 2004)]
* [http://www.myspace.com/myalbanytransit AlbanyGO site]