Capital Region Transit Advocates

Ray Melleady to speak at Citizens for Public Transportation Meeting Tonight

2009-06-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

Lucile Brewer left me a message the other day that CDTA Executive Director, Ray Melleady will be presenting to Citizens for Public Transportation tonight at 7 p.m. at the main branch of the Albany Public Library.

Click here for an article that Andy Arthur posted from the NY Times -- about the possibility of some stimulus funds being allowable for operating costs -- this could help with regards to the next fare hike which the CDTA board had discussed going into effect in April 2010-- raising fares to $2/ ride -- with NO free transfer.

If you can attend tonight's meeting -- I suggest the following:

1. Tell Ray that riders can't afford this fare hike -- let alone another one -- urge CDTA to use stimulus funds to defray operating costs.

2. We need free transfers. Don't let him get away with "That's what the Day Passes are for!" Tell him no - riders want both. Remind him that the MTA issues transfers that are good for 2 hours from the time of issuance and they sell day passses -- CDTA should do the same!

3. Ask when CDTA will introduce a weekly or bi-weekly pass that provides a discount for bus riders who don't have the upfront $ to purchase monthly passes? Remind him that CDTA reported in 2008 that 63% of riders earn $25,000 or less per year -- coming up with $55/ month for a 5-day pass or $65/ month for a 7-day pass is simply too much for the average CDTA rider!

4. One CRTA member brought up the idea of purchasing rides in bulk amounts greater than 10 -- for example -- these three options: 30 rides, 50 rides and 100 rides -- each at an incrementally higher discount than the lower amount of rides.

5. Ask when the 31-day rolling pass will be rolled out.

6. Ask how efforts are going to better serve low-income riders -- e.g. working with non-profits and county agencies who serve low-income community members so that more organizations can get free or reduced-price passes to their clients.

CDTA Launches Blog

2009-03-26T13:25:00.001-07:00

Check it out.

Comment... let your voices be heard.

Thanks AOA!

Stimulus, Operating Budgets, and CDTA riders

2009-02-24T20:00:00.000-08:00

In the wake of the stimulus bill, I found this interesting piece on the NY Times website.

It's been pretty well-publicized in the transit world that stimulus funding was being targeted for Capital projects rather than operating support so when I read the below from that NY Times piece, I thought, "hmmmm...."

The failure to include operating assistance in the economic recovery
package for struggling transit agencies across the country can be traced to a
long-standing U.S. political and policy bias against major urban transit
systems. The less-than-robust transit funding contained in the bill is
restricted to capital and maintenance projects, except — and this is an
important loophole — for small and rural systems.

Got me wondering whether CDTA qualifies as "small" or "rural." I've asked around, and haven't received a definitive response...yet.

March 2 is Transit Awareness Day, and members of the Stop the Hike campaign will ask our state legislators to work in the best interest of their constituents and ensure CDTA's funding is restored with stimulus funding. We'll also urge the legislators to push CDTA's board to roll back the planned fare increases that will be devastating to the majority of CDTA's riders.

The average CDTA bus rider simply cannot afford this fare hike!

According to CDTA's "2008 Regular Route Rider Satisfaction Research Program":

63% of CDTA bus riders are from households with annual incomes of $25,000 or less.

Only 52% of CDTA bus riders have full-time jobs.

62% of CDTA bus riders have no household car available.

What is the impact of the fare hike on low-income families?

CDTA offers cost-saving monthly passes under two options:

A 5-day Swiper valid Monday through Friday.
A Swiper valid 7 days per week.

Purchasing Swipers can be tricky.

Seems simple, but if you don’t have your pass at the beginning of the month, you lose out on savings. If you buy it one week late, you only save $15, if you buy it in the middle of the month, you save nothing!

Unfortunately, for many low-wage earners, laying out cash for a Swiper is not an option when trying to feed a family, pay the rent and keep the refrigerator running.

Consider this…

Before the Fare increase: A mom didn't have the funds at the end of the previous month to purchase a CDTA Swiper. Instead of a Swiper, she'll buy a $3 day pass each weekday for herself that provides unlimited daily rides. Mom takes her two elementary-age kids to school on a CDTA bus at $1 per ride per kid, and then hops on another bus to get to work. At the end of the workday, she does the reverse.

The family’s bus fare expenditures are $7 a day and $35 for a 5-day work week.

After the Fare increase: The day pass will go up to $4/ day, and the daily per-child bus fare will rise to $3, with weekly family transit costs at $50; an increase of $15 per week or $60 per month!

In the current economy, where will this family get the extra $60 per month?

Roger Green on the Myth of the Empty Bus and More

2009-01-07T04:30:00.000-08:00

Check out Roger Green's post on his TU blog...

Roger discusses recent Letters to the Editor and response from Ray Melleady. He also weighs in with

Reasons why CDTA's defunct zoned riding system didn't work,
The importance of on-time buses,
The need for additional stops on the Number 12 line,
Applause for Lucile Brewer and her recognition in Metroland

Roger also announces the monthly meeting of Citizens for Public Transportation to be held Wednesday January 21 at 7 p.m. at the Main Branch of the Albany Public Library.

As usual, it's worth the read.

Service Cuts announced - to take effect 1/25

2009-01-07T04:14:00.000-08:00

The first wave of CDTA service cuts were announced earlier this week and will take effect January 25, 2009.

Here's the announcement:

Schedule Changes Effective 01/25/2009

Please review the changes to see if your route and trips are affected. If you have questions call our Telephone Information Center at 482-8822 or send us an e-mail. cdta@cdta.org

(Albany, NY) - The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) announced that effective Monday, January 26, 2009, a few service changes will be made on the following routes. The route changes are as follows:

Route #16 Downtown Albany Circulator: Route #16 will no longer operate.

Route #51 Broadway: Route #51 will stop at the newly consolidated Department of Social Service Offices located at 797 Broadway, Schenectady and will also service Golub Corporation Offices on every trip. It will no longer service GE, the Rotterdam Square Mall or Curry Road areas. Customers who currently use #51 to get to the Rotterdam Square Mall may connect to Route #62 McClellan Street, #66 Schenectady South Loop, #77 Schenectady North Loop, and #78 Schenectady West Loop at the State and Washington transfer center in downtown Schenectady.

New Schedule Effective January 25, 2009>>

Route #471 Union Avenue: Route #471 will become a seasonal route, operating only during the summer months, beginning in May, to accommodate customers during the Saratoga Spring’s tourist and Race track season.

Route #473 Jefferson Avenue: Minor time adjustments will be made to Route #473 to improve schedule reliability.

New Schedule Effective January 25, 2009>>

Route #84 Watervliet Belt: Route #84 will no longer operate on Saturday or Sunday, but will continue to operate Monday through Friday.

New Schedule Effective January 25, 2009>>

For more information regarding reroutes or other CDTA Service Information, contact CDTA’s Customer Information Center at 482-8822. Information operators are on duty 6am-7pm weekdays and 8:30am-6pm weekends and holidays.

MTA Board and Coalition to Travel to Albany

2009-01-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

Check out this post from our friend at Albany's Citizen One (ACO) calling for the CDTA Board of Directors to lobby Albany's legislators for more funding just like the MTA board plans to do on January 13!

ACO references a Daily News article:

MTA Chairman Dale Hemmerdinger and fellow board members will be riding the rails to Albany Jan. 13 to plead with lawmakers for a transit bailout, officials said Tuesday.

The Empire State Transportation Alliance - a coalition of business, civic, labor and environmental groups - also will appeal for more funding for the cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

“Time is of the essence,” board member Allen Cappelli said.

The MTA will be forced to impose sky-high fares and severe service cuts unless there’s a state bailout early next year, transit officials have warned.

Here's the Daily News article ACO in its entirety.

CDTA Board Ignores Pleas for Low Income Riders

2008-12-23T10:13:00.000-08:00

Ignoring pleas from bus riders and transit advocates to "Stop the Hike", CDTA board approves a fare increase that will have an overwhelming impact on low-income riders during the worst economic downturn of my lifetime.

Coalition opposes CDTA's proposed bus fare hikes and service cuts

2008-12-22T17:21:00.000-08:00

NEWS RELEASE

For Release 5:00 PM Monday December 22, 2008

Coalition opposes CDTA's proposed bus fare hikes and service cuts

News conference at Citizen Action, 94 Central Avenue, Albany, NY

The Stop the Hike Campaign, a new coalition of organizations, elected officials, and individual citizens, today called on CDTA not to approve proposed bus fare increases and service cuts at the CDTA board meeting tomorrow, Tuesday December 23.

The campaign collected over 800 signatures in 5 days on a petition opposing both the proposed rate hike and service cuts, presented to CDTA on December 12. [see petiton attached; Concerned citizens can sign the petition online at:

Speakers at Monday's news conference, held at Citizen Action, 94 Central Avenue in Albany, included Shawn Morris, President, Albany Common Council; Albany Councilmembers Corey Ellis, Barbara Smith and Cathy Fahey; Doug Bullock, Albany County Legislature, 8th District; Leah Golby, of Capital Region Transit Advocates; Mark Schaeffer of Citizen Action; Cliff Perez of the Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley, and Nate Smith of Citizens for Public Transportation.

The CDTA Board of Directors is scheduled to vote on proposed fare increases at their meeting on Tuesday, December 23 at noon. The Stop the Hike Campaign is being launched by Capital Region Transit Advocates, Capital District Citizen Action, the Capital District Coalition for Accessible Transportation and Citizens for Public Transportation. The campaign opposes any rate hikes and any service cuts by CDTA, and calls on CDTA to find additional funding to maintain and improve bus service.

Shawn Morris, Albany Council President, said, "before CDTA balances their budget on the backs of their core riders, they need to work with employers, public and private sector alike, to encourage more workers to ride the bus and to improve services for the people who already support and depend upon public transportation."

Ward 4 Councilmember Barbara Smith, said "Access to public transportation should be viewed as a right. Low income people should not bear the burden of CDTA's budget deficit. Just as in the current economy as a whole, those who are least able to deal with increases in taxes, rates and fares are those expected to foot the bill - that has to change."

Ward 7 Councilmember Cathy Fahey said, "The bus fare hike is a social justice issue. The majority of people who ride the bus in the City of Albany are the poor, the working poor and/or the disabled. For them, affordable public transportation is a lifeline that enables them to get the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter met. They struggle every day to pay the current fare and most certainly can not afford a 50% increase. There will be less food on the table and the rent may not be paid on time if this increase is approved."

Nate Smith of Citizens for Public Transportation said, "It is natural to worry about how to pay for things in economic hard times, but we believe buses are part of the solution. We all pay for cars in subtle ways, from sprawling parking lots, to six lane roads, to air pollution and and climate disruption, as well as the direct costs of car payments, insurance, and gas."

"Raising bus fares will hurt the people who already can't afford to be part of our car culture and those who can't drive because disability. But we should invest in mass transit for the long term health of our economy, for energy independence, for social equity, for the environment and public health. Better transit service will improve the quality of life of our cities - as a long term alternative to sprawl."

Doug Bullock, 8th District Albany County Legislator, said: "All employers, public, private, and not for profit, should follow the lead of Albany County in providing transit passes to their workers in lieu of parking spaces. CDTA should pursue every source of revenue before increasing the burden on passengers, who are already struggling to make ends meet."

Mark Schaeffer of Citizen Action noted that according to Sunday's New York Times,
"The sorts of jobs Mr. Obama would propose to create involve construction work on roads, mass transit projects, weatherization of government buildings ... among others. .... The Obama team has a list of $136 billion in infrastructure projects from the National Governors Association that consists mostly of transit construction but also includes port expansions and renewable energy programs. ...Federal money to local governments would come with a 'use it or lose it' clause under Mr. Obama’s plans, advisers say."

# # #

News Conference opposing CDTA's proposed bus fare hikes and service cuts

2008-12-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

Stop the Hike Campaign

NEWS ADVISORY
For Immediate Release

News Conference opposing CDTA's proposed bus fare hikes and service cuts

Monday, December 22, 2008 - 5 p.m.
Citizen Action, 94 Central Avenue, Albany, NY

Speakers (draft list)
Honorable Corey Ellis, Albany Common Council
Honorable Catherine Fahey, Albany Common Council
Leah Golby, Capital Region Transit Advocates
Honorable Shawn Morris, Albany Common Council President
Mark Schaeffer, Citizen Action
Honorable Barbara Smith, Albany Common Council
Representative of Citizens for Public Transportation
Cliff Perez, Capital District Coalition for Accessible Transportation

The Stop the Hike Campaign, a newly formed coalition of organizations and individuals opposed to CDTA's proposed bus fare increases and service cuts will hold a press conference Monday, December 22 at 5 p.m. at Citizen Action, 94 Central Avenue, Albany, NY.

The CDTA Board of Directors is scheduled to vote on proposed fare increases at their meeting on Tuesday, December 23 at noon. The Stop the Hike Campaign is being launched by the fledgling group, Capital Region Transit Advocates as well as Citizen Action, the Capital District Coalition for Accessible Transportation and Citizens for Public Transportation, and has the support of many local elected officials and individuals who believe in affordable public transit.

The campaign collected over 800 signatures in less than one week on a petition urging CDTA not to go forward with the fare hike.

The petition said:

" - Fare increases and service cuts will be a hardship for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and low income bus riders who rely on CDTA or STAR as their primary mode of transportation.

" - Fare increases and service cuts will send many of CDTA's new riders who take the bus by choice, right back to their cars.

" - CDTA states that higher fuel costs have contributed to increased operating expenses, but with the drastic reduction in gas prices, it doesn't appear that a fare hike can be justified.

"Given the current economic climate, the critical role of public transit in the promotion of green living, energy independence and the new green-collar workforce, and the potential for a stimulus package from President-elect Obama and the 111th Congress, it is premature for CDTA to schedule implementation of service cuts and a fare hike. Instead, we urge CDTA to push Congress for a stimulus package that invests wisely in public transit so that CDTA can keep fares at current affordable levels, add needed service and continue to attract new riders."

# # #

Stop the Hike Campaign News

2008-12-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

Donna Suhor, Executive Director of the Capital District Coalition for Accessible Transportation and member of our Stop the Hike Campaign was quoted in the Times Union today - click here to read the article.

The Stop the Hike Campaign is an initiative of our fledgling group Capital Region Transit Advocates (CRTA). We appreciate that Capital District Citizen Action is allowing us to use their online petition to collect signatures against the hike. Click here to sign the petition.

There was some concern over at All Over Albany about this language on the petition:

By submitting, you become a member of Citizen Action of New York...

Citizen Action's Charlie Albanetti straightens that out with his comment - click here to read the entire comment. Here is the crux of Charlie's response:

The "become a member" clause is standard on all of our internet forms, and just means that you'll be added to our email list (from which you can easily unsubscribe any time you get an email from us).

(Thank you, Charlie.)

We urge you to tell your friends about the online petition and help us to Stop the Hike!

Hard Copy Petitions are Available Too

2008-12-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

If you can help by collecting hard copy signatures around town... send us an email and we'll forward you a petition. Time is ticking. Here's the online petition.

email address: capitalregiontransitadvocates@gmail.com

We'll forward along to you.

All petitions should be returned by 10 a.m. Friday, December 12 to:
Citizen Action
94 Central Avenue
Albany, NY

465-4600

Stop the Hike!

2008-12-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

Help stop CDTA's proposed fare hike and service cuts that will have an adverse impact on seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and low income earners.

Here's what we say:
CDTA plans a 50% fare increase in 2009. The Capital Region Transit Advocates, a coalition of transit riders and supporters, and the undersigned believe:

Fare increases and service cuts will be a hardship for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and low income bus riders who rely on CDTA or STAR as their primary mode of transportation.
Fare increases and service cuts will send many of CDTA's new riders who take the bus by choice, right back to their cars.
CDTA states that higher fuel costs have contributed to increased operating expenses, but with the drastic reduction in gas prices, it doesn't appear that a fare hike can be justified.

Given the current economic climate, the critical role of public transit in the promotion of green living, energy independence and the new green-collar workforce, and the potential for a stimulus package from President-elect Obama and the 111th Congress, it is premature for CDTA to schedule implementation of service cuts and a fare hike. Instead, we urge CDTA to push Congress for a stimulus package that invests wisely in public transit so that CDTA can keep fares at current affordable levels, add needed service and continue to attract new riders.

Click here to sign a petition before 10 a.m. on Friday, December 12.