Saratoga Springs leaders and Capital District Transportation Authority officials are set to hold a public information session this evening to go over the coming changes to public transit in the Spa City.
CDTA runs five bus routes in and around the city, as well as additional trolley service during busy summer months when the Saratoga Race Course is in operation.
Of those routes, the 451 and 452 run exclusively within Saratoga Springs, connecting the outer suburbs to the downtown core.
CDTA announced in October that it would be suspending those routes by the end of November in favor of “CDTA FLEX,” an on-demand service riders can order for the same cost as standard bus fare.
CDTA’s CEO Frank Annicaro says riders will be able to order FLEX service through an app or over the phone. He says the goal is to have users wait no longer than 30 minutes for their ride to arrive.
“These two routes, the 451 and 452, they have struggled for ridership despite our efforts o restructure them several times. Utilizing micro-transit here is really made to order. What also the benefit of FLEX is we’re going to maintain current stops that the 451 and 452 offer and we’re going to offer additional stops throughout the zone,” said Annicaro.
CDTA says the 451 and 452 have less than 100 combined daily riders in a city of 30,000.
“I know that public transportation has not been a thing in America for forever except in certain major cities. But if we really want to give more opportunities to people that need to work, if we want to take people out of poverty we cannot expect that every one of them can buy a car on the first day that they go do work. So, public transportation is needed,” said Panagi.
Luis Panagi is a retired city resident who takes the bus downtown daily. He’s been speaking out on behalf of locals who rely on regular bus service to get to work or doctors’ appointments. He says the proposed changes won’t adequately meet their needs.
“What I would like to see, obviously, is at least the two routes 451 and 452 are kept as they are now for the holiday season and the winter months. And at the same time CDTA has the courtesy of meeting with some of us,” said Panagi.
Skidmore students, faculty, and staff can take CDTA busses from campus into town for free.
While regular service from campus to downtown will remain in effect Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, some students have expressed concerns that CDTA will no longer offer services to the Wilton mall, where students work and shop regularly.
Skidmore College says it will continue to subsidize student, faculty, and staff rides on CDTA regardless of the service changes. And the college says it is working directly with CDTA leadership ahead of the changes.
Republican Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford, who was just reelected to his second term in November’s election, tells WAMC he’s been working with CDTA to hold training sessions to get riders adjusted to the new FLEX system.
“It’s like an Uber app. If someone is familiar with that, you just order it and it will pick you up for $1.50 and take you to another point so you’re not going to have to come downtown and swap to the 452 or back to the 451. Just go point to point. It’s just going to be so much better once people learn how to do it and use it and, in fact, I think it’s going to increase ridership dramatically,” said Safford.
Tonight’s public info session will be held at the Saratoga Springs public library at 5:30.
