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Thanks AOA!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Stimulus, Operating Budgets, and CDTA riders
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.
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.
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?
Contact us @ capitalregiontransitadvocates@gmail(dot)com to help with our efforts.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Roger Green on the Myth of the Empty Bus and More
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
As usual, it's worth the read.
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
As usual, it's worth the read.
Service Cuts announced - to take effect 1/25
The first wave of CDTA service cuts were announced earlier this week and will take effect January 25, 2009.
Here's the announcement:
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.
Friday, January 2, 2009
MTA Board and Coalition to Travel to Albany
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:
ACO references a Daily News article:
Here's the Daily News article ACO in its entirety.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.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
CDTA Board Ignores Pleas for Low Income Riders
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.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Coalition opposes CDTA's proposed bus fare hikes and service cuts
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."
# # #
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."
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