The Capital District Transportation Authority will be adjusting bus service north of Saratoga County this spring and summer.
The CDTA merged with Greater Glens Falls Transit in 2024 after helping the struggling bus service through staffing shortages and the pandemic.
CDTA expanded its services into Warren and Washington Counties and now offers rides to Glens Falls, Lake George, Hudson Falls, and Fort Edward.
Mike Williams is CDTA’s Director of Planning.
“We’re not looking to make any in-depth changes – remove any routes, add any new routes – at this point. I would expect essentially a better version of what you already have for May. What’s really important about May is that now that we have the correct inputs into our schedules, so we now know how long it actually takes to get from point A to point B, that helps us build our future routes for phase two all the more intelligently,” said Williams.
While CDTA has been managing public transit in its northernmost service area for two years, it has only gathered about 8 months of ridership data. More significant changes, like new or altered routes, are expected to come sometime in August.
But first, Williams says, they need input from customers.
“One important thing to remember is that we have two commitments. One is to use service, we can use data to determine how we allocate our service as efficiently as possible but we also understand that there are places where the number might not perfectly match what we’re calling for. But we know through our engagement with the community, directly with customers, all kinds of input, there are certain services that we should retain even if they aren’t checking every box,” said Williams.
Williams and other CDTA staff members met recently with customers at the Crandall Public Library in downtown Glens Falls.
The potential changes to its routes across the greater Capital District come as CDTA seeks to address a nearly $3 million budget deficit. The authority says it has cut upwards of 90,000 hours of underutilized services since August 2025.
Still, CDTA says they’re committed to servicing the region despite lower-than-ideal ridership.
But expanded bus service is a welcome prospect for the business community.
Gina Mintzer is Executive Director of the Lake George Chamber of Commerce.
“We do have a lot of employees that are seasonal employees who need to get to Walmart whether they’re in Glens Falls or they’re north up to Bolton. So, I can see some promise there,” said Mintzer.
Hugh Phillips is a manager at a senior living facility in Queensbury. He adds bolstering bus service could help attract more workers.
“It’d give us a great opportunity for more employees. And in today’s world that’s what we’re trying to get. And it’s nice to let employees have the opportunity if they choose not to drive,” said Phillips.
CDTA is planning its next public meeting with Glens Falls customers in June.
