Capital District Transportation Authority

Capital District Transportation Authority

CDTA Gillig Low Floor BRT hybrid in iRide branding.
Slogan	iRide
Founded	1970 (previously United Traction Company in 1890)
Headquarters	110 Watervliet Avenue Albany, NY 12206
Locale	Capital District
Service area	Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, and Saratoga counties
Service type	local bus service express bus service commuter coach service bus rapid transit para-transit (STAR)
Routes	59^[1]
Stops	3,135^[2]
Fleet	306^[2]
Annual ridership	15,407,000 (FY 2008–2009)^[2]
Fuel type	Diesel, Diesel-electric hybrid
Operator	CDTA (all except Northway Express) Upstate Transit (Northway Express only)
Chief executive	Carm Basile
Website	www.cdta.org

The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) is a public benefit corporation created by New York State, overseeing a number of multi-modal parts of public transportation in the Capital District of New York State (Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties). CDTA runs local and express buses, including a version of Bus Rapid Transit called BusPlus between Albany and Schenectady, and day-to-day management of two Amtrak stations in the Capital region; the Albany-Rensselaer and Saratoga Springs Amtrak stations.

Created as act of New York State government in August 1970, CDTA was formed, similar to three other agencies; in Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. In 1970, CDTA purchased and took over management of the United Traction Company and Schenectady Transit.

CDTA bus operators, dispatchers, and supervisory staff are organized in Local 1321 of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU).

Governance

CDTA is overseen by a nine-member board of directors.^[3]

At the present time, the board representation includes:

Three members representing Albany County
Two members representing Rensselaer County
One member representing Schenectady County
Two members representing Saratoga County
One member (non-voting) representing the labor unions

There is also an executive director that handles day-to-day business, reporting to the board of directors.

Fixed route services

System map showing service frequency (data from November 2009–March 2010)

CDTA operates 56 routes, many of which connect neighborhoods to downtowns or downtowns to shopping areas; with six routes linking key towns together. Two routes, 11-UAlbany Shuttle and 286-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

A bus stop sign in Delmar (older style)

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

In early 2011, CDTA announced its plans to restructure the Albany County bus routes in two phases. Phase 1 involved reconstructing routes within the city of Albany, with a public input campaign held until August 2011. The results were five new neighborhood routes and three commuter routes. Its goal was to have a more uniformed bus system without any route deviation. Phase 1 of the reconstructing went into effect on November 13, 2011. In August 2012, CDTA revealed the draft plan for Phase 2 of the reconstructing. Phase 2 involved reconstructing routes within the western and northern portions of Albany County, with a public input campaign held until September 2012. Phase 2 of the reconstructing went into effect on November 11, 2012.

Route	Terminals		Major streets	History	Notes
1	Albany Bus Terminal	Wolf Rd. & Colonie Center	Central Ave., NY 5		Rt. 5 local service between Downtown Albany and Colonie Center
6	Broadway & Orange St.	St. Peter's Hospital	Whitehall Rd., Second Ave., South Pearl St.
7	Broadway & Orange St.	Walmart - Glenmont	Rt. 9W, River Rd., South Pearl St.
10	Broadway & Orange St.	Crossgates Mall	Western Ave., Rt. 20
11	UAlbany Draper Hall	UAlbany Science Library	Western Ave.		Service only operates while UAlbany is in session
12	Broadway & Orange St.	Walmart -Crossgates Commons	Washington Ave.
13	Albany Bus Terminal	Price Chopper - New Scotland	New Scotland Ave., Delaware Ave., Lark St., NY 85
18	Albany Bus Terminal	Shoprite - Slingerlands	Delaware Ave., Lark St., Cherry Ave., NY 443
100	Quail St. & Central Ave.	Quail St. & Central Ave.	Quail St., Livingston Ave., Pearl St., Morton Ave., Holland Ave.	Replaced parts of Routes #3, #8, and #9 in November 2011
114	Albany-Rensselaer train station	Crossgates Mall	Washington Ave., Broadway., Madison Ave.	Replaced parts of Route #3 and #4 in November 2011	No Sunday Service
116	Broadway & Orange St.	Mt. Hope Dr.	Green St., Broadway, Van Rensselaer Blvd.	Split from Route #6 and replaced part of Route #8 in November 2011	weekday service only
117	Twenty Mall	British-American Blvd.	Western Ave., Fuller Rd., Wolf Rd., Albany-Shaker Rd.	Formed from parts of Routes #63, #90, #610 and #611 in November 2012
125	Albany Bus Terminal	Central Ave. & Colonie Center	Sand Creek Rd., Everett Rd., Clinton Ave.	Replaced parts of Routes #2 and #3 in November 2011
138	Albany Bus Terminal	St. Peter's Hospital	North Pearl St., Livingston Ave., Allen St.	Replaced parts of Routes #2, #8, and #30 in November 2011	No Sunday service
155	Crossgates Mall	Albany International Airport	Washington Ave. Ext., New Karner Rd., Watervliet Shaker Rd., NY 155	Replaced parts of Routes #610 #611, #612 in November 2012
233	Broadway & Hudson Ave.	Schodack Park and Ride	Rt. 9, Rt. 20	Formerly Route #33 until May 2009	weekday service only
520	Broadway & Hudson Ave.	Malden St. & Chatham St., Nassau	I-90	Formerly Route #33x until May 2009	weekday express service only
712	Albany Bus Terminal	Walmart -Crossgates Commons	Washington Ave., Colvin Ave., Central Ave.	Replaced parts of Routes #12, #56x and #90x in November 2011	limited weekday service only - provides service to the Harriman State Office Campus
719	Madison Ave. & Empire State Plaza	Crossgates Mall	Rt. 20, NY 146, NY 156, NY 85, I-787	Replaced parts of Routes #19, #21 and #63 in November 2012	limited weekday service only
734	Broadway & Orange St.	Ohav Shalom	Buckingham Dr., Hackett Blvd., Holland Ave.	Replaced parts of Routes #4 and #30 in November 2011	limited weekday service only
737	Albany Bus Terminal	British-American Blvd.	Albany Shaker Rd., Everett Rd., Henry Johnson Blvd.	Replaced parts of Routes #27 and #31 in November 2011	limited weekday service only

Former bus routes that were part of the Albany Division include:

#2 - West Albany (discontinued in November 2011 during Phase 1 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#3 - Quail Street (discontinued in November 2011 during Phase 1 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#4 - Pine Hills (discontinued in November 2011 during Phase 1 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#5 - Northern Boulevard (discontinued in May 2009 due to low ridership; merged with Route #6)
#8 - Arbor Hill (discontinued in November 2011 during Phase 1 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#9 - Whitehall Road (discontinued in November 2011 during Phase 1 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#16 - Downtown Albany Circulator (discontinued in January 2009 due to low ridership)
#17 - Four Mall Circuit (merged with Route #90 Troy/Latham during the late 1990s)
#19 - Voorheesvile Express (discontinued in November 2012 during Phase 2 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#21 - Altamont Express (discontinued in November 2012 during Phase 2 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#23 - Menands Bridge (discontinued during the late 1990s due to low ridership)
#25 - West Sand Lake/Averill Park (discontinued May 2009 due to low ridership)
#26 - Albany-Cohoes via Broadway
#27 - Corporate Woods (discontinued in November 2011 during Phase 1 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#29 - Albany/Latham/Cohoes (discontinued in November 2012 during Phase 2 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#30 - Hackett Blvd (discontinued in November 2011 during Phase 1 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#31 - Albany Shaker Road (discontinued in November 2011 during Phase 1 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#33 - Albany/Nassau (renumbered Route #233 in May 2009)
#33x - Albany/Nassau express (renumbered Route #520 in May 2009)
#34 - Albany/Castleton (discontinued in May 2009 due to low ridership)
#129 - Albany/Latham Farms (merged with Route #182 in May 2013)
#232 - former Route 32, Hampton Manor (discontinued in May 2012 due to low ridership)
#610 - Shuttle Fly (Colonie Center, Wolf Rd to Rt. 7 - discontinued in November 2012 during Phase 2 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#611 - Shuttle Bug (Crossgates Mall to Twenty Mall - discontinued in November 2012 during Phase 2 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#612 - Shuttle Bug (Crossgates Mall to Central Ave - discontinued in November 2012 during Phase 2 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#810 - Berne/Knox rural shuttle (discontinued in August 2012 due to low ridership)
#811 - Westerlo rural shuttle (discontinued in September 2009 due to low ridership)
#812 - Rensselaerville rural shuttle (discontinued in August 2012 due to low ridership)

Schenectady Division

Before CDTA, many of these routes were run by Schenectady Transit, which became insolvent and was taken over by Schenectady County in the late 1960s. Buses operate from the Electric Depot, located at 2401 Maxon Road Ext. in Schenectady.

On May 24, 2010 CDTA implemented five new cross-town routes for Schenectady as a part of their new service plan, removing routes 51, 52, 53, 54, 59, 61, 62, 66, and 77 and combining them into routes 351, 352, 353, 354, and 358 (Route 358 has since been eliminated due to low ridership). This is a part of their new three-digit route identification system. Routes 530, 531 & 532 are express services to Downtown Albany replacing the former 55x bus route and do not carry any local passengers (Route 532 was combined with Route 531 on November 13, 2011).

Route	Terminals		Major streets	History	Notes
351	Golub Corp.	Gerling St. & Sheridan Ave.	Broadway, Van Vranken Ave.	Replaced parts of Routes #51 and #61 in May 2010	No Sunday service
352	Price Chopper - Altamont Ave.	Gerling St. & Sheridan Ave.	McClellan St., Altamont Ave.	Replaced parts of Routes #53, #59, #61 and #62 in May 2010	No Sunday service
353	Walmart - Glenville	Price Chopper - Altamont Ave.	Mohawk Ave.	Replaced parts of Routes #52, #53 and #54 in May 2010
354	Rotterdam Square Mall	Shoprite - Niskayuna	Nott St., I-890	Replaced parts of Routes #59 and #62 in May 2010
355	Liberty Park	Central Ave. & Colonie Center	State St., Central Ave., NY 5		Rt. 5 local service between Downtown Schenectady and Colonie Center.
370	Liberty Park	River St. & Front St., Troy	Union St., NY 7, NY 2	formerly Route #70 until November 2012
530	Rotterdam Square Mall / Exit 26 Park & Ride	Broadway & Hudson Ave, Albany	I-787, I-90, I-890		weekday express service only
531	St. Luke’s / Woodlawn Park & Ride	Broadway & Hudson Ave, Albany	I-787, I-90, I-890		weekday express service only
763	Liberty Park	Albany Bus Terminal	Madison Ave., Lark St., Western Ave., Rt. 20, Curry Rd., Broadway	formerly Route #63 until November 2012	limited weekday service only
905	Liberty Park	Albany Bus Terminal	State St., Central Ave., NY 5		Rt. 5 Bus Plus service between Downtown Schenectady and Downtown Albany, with only 19 stops per trip.

Former bus routes that were part of the Schenectady Division include:

Old #50 - Route 50 (merged with Route #71 in July 2007 as part of the Saratoga Springs Route Expansion)
#51 - Broadway (discontinued in May 2010 as part of the Schenectady Route Restructuring)
Old #52 - Scotia/Crane St. (split up into two routes, new Route #52 Crane St. and new Route #54 Scotia/Walmart in January 2004)
New #52 - Crane St. (discontinued in May 2010 as part of the Schenectady Route Restructuring)
#53 - Altamont Ave (discontinued in May 2010 as part of the Schenectady Route Restructuring)
Old #54 - Kings Rd. (discontinued during the 1990s)
New #54 - Scotia/Walmart (discontinued in May 2010 as part of the Schenectady Route Restructuring)
#55 - Schenectady/Albany (became Route #355 in April 2011, during implementation of Rt. 5 Bus Plus service)
#55x - Schenectady/Albany Express (discontinued in April 2011, during implementation of Rt. 5 Bus Plus service)
#56x - Schenectady/State Office Campus Express (discontinued in August 2010 due to low ridership)
#58 - Union St./Mohawk Mall (discontinued in November 1999)
#59 - Nott St. (discontinued in May 2010 as part of the Schenectady Route Restructuring)
#60 - Rosa Rd. (merged with Route #61 Van Vranken Ave. during the 1990s)
#61 - Van Vraken Ave. (discontinued in May 2010 as part of the Schenectady Route Restructuring)
#62 - McClellan St./Rotterdam Square Mall (discontinued in May 2010 as part of the Schenectady Route Restructuring)
#63 - Route Twenty (renumbered Route #763 in November 2012 during Phase 2 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#64 - Charlton (discontinued during the 1990s)
#66 - Schenectady South Loop (discontinued in May 2010 as part of the Schenectady Route Restructuring)
#70 - Schenectady/Troy (renumbered Route #370 in November 2012 during Phase 2 of the Albany County Route Restructuring))
#77 - Schenectady North Loop (discontinued in May 2010 as part of the Schenectady Route Restructuring)
#78 - Schenectady West Loop (discontinued in May 2009 due to low ridership)
#95 - Duanesburg/Delanson rural service (separated into four distinct routes, Routes #810, #811, #812 and #830 in January 2009)
#358 - Hamburg St./McClellan St. (discontinued in April 2011 due to low ridership)
#532 - Woodlawn Express (merged with Route #531 St. Luke's Express in November 2011)
#830 - Duanesburg rural shuttle (discontinued in September 2009 due to low ridership)

Saratoga Service

The City of Saratoga Springs service also operates from Schenectady Division. These routes run seven days a week. Before July 2007, the Saratoga Springs buses were operated from the Uncle Sam Depot at 40 Hoosick Street in Troy, with limited service. There was no direct connection to the Albany/Schenectady/Troy routes. Route #50 was operated from the Electric Depot at 2401 Maxon Road Ext. in Schenectady, and only provided one AM and one PM weekday trip between Schenectady and Ballston Spa. On July 2, 2007, the Saratoga Springs Route Expansion went into effect, with the implementation of a new three-digit route identification system. Route #50 was extended to provide hourly service between Schenectady and Wilton Mall, seven days a week. All of the Saratoga Springs buses began operating from the Schenectady Garage on Maxon Rd. Ext. CDTA plans to construct a Saratoga Springs bus garage at Grand Industrial Park, off of Geyser Rd. In April 2015, CDTA announced its plans to restructure the Saratoga County bus routes with a public input campaign, followed by a draft plan that was released in October 2015. The draft plan proposes the creation of four new routes 450, 470, 750 and 772 to replace current routes 50, 472 and 473. ^[4] In November 2015, CDTA held a final public input campaign with the finalized restructured route service planned to go into effect in 2016.

Route	Terminals		Major streets	History	Notes
50	Liberty Park, Schenectady	Wilton Mall	NY 50, Rowland St., Geyser Rd., Broadway, High Rock Ave., Excelsior Ave.		To be replaced by new routes #450, #470 and #750 in the proposed 2016 route restructure.
472	Saratoga Springs train station	Wilton Mall	Lake Ave., Church St.		To be replaced by new route #772 in the proposed 2016 route restructure.
473	Saratoga Casino and Raceway	Skidmore College	Jefferson St., Broadway, Clinton St.		To be replaced by new route #470 in the proposed 2016 route restructure.
840	Stonequist Apartments	Wilton Mall	Union Ave.		New Shopping shuttle created in July 2015. Runs on Tuesdays only ^[5]
875	Saratoga Race Course	Saratoga Performing Arts Center	Broadway, Nelson Ave., Jefferson St., Avenue of the Pines		Seasonal trolley operates from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day
NX	Empire State Plaza, Albany	various park & ride locations throughout Saratoga County	I-87, I-787		weekday express service only

Former Saratoga Springs bus routes that were operated by the Schenectady Division include:

#409 - federally founded pilot service on Rt. 9 between Saratoga Springs and Clifton Park (launched on May 24, 2010, with a minimum ridership of 15 passengers per hour needed. Discontinued on September 2, 2011 because it did not maintain the above ridership quota.)
#471 - Union Ave. (discontinued in September 2010 due to low ridership)
#474 - Saratoga Springs City Shuttle (discontinued in May 2009 due to low ridership)
#870 - Saratoga County Shuttle (provided rural service to Galway, Wilton, Schuylerville and Round Lake - discontinued in May 2012 due to low ridership)

Former Saratoga Springs bus routes that were operated by the Troy Division include:

#71 - Saratoga Springs/Ballston Spa (merged with Route #50 in July 2007 as part of the Saratoga Springs Route Expansion)
#72 - Saratoga Springs City Bus (discontinued in July 2007 as part of the Saratoga Springs Route Expansion)
#73 - Victory Mills/Galway/Saratoga Springs (discontinued in July 2007 as part of the Saratoga Springs Route Expansion)

Troy Division

Before CDTA, most of these routes were operated by the United Traction Co and the Troy-Fifth Avenue Bus Company. Buses run from the Uncle Sam Depot at 40 Hoosick Street in Troy, which also used to operate Saratoga Springs service prior to July 2007.

Route	Terminals		Major streets	History	Notes
22	Fulton St. & 4th St.	Madison Ave. & Empire State Plaza, Albany	Broadway, NY 32
80	River St. & Front St.	Northern Dr. & 8th St.	5th Ave.
85	Broad St. & 6th St., Waterford	Van Rensselaer Manor	Rt. 4
87	River St. & Front St.	Price Chopper & Walmart	Hoosick St. and 15th St.
182	River St. & Front St.	Albany Bus Terminal	Henry Johnson Blvd., Van Rensselaer Blvd., Northern Blvd., Rt. 9, Columbia St., NY 32	Merged with Route #129 in May 2013	Runs seven days a week between Downtown Albany, Latham Farms, Cohoes, Green Island, Watervliet and Troy
190	Latham Farms Shopping Center	Crossgates Mall	Wade Rd., Wolf Rd., Fuller Rd.
214	Walmart - Rensselaer Plaza(Rt. 4)	Madison Ave. & Empire State Plaza, Albany	Third St., Washington Ave.	Combined from Routes #14 and #15 in May 2009
224	Fulton St. & 4th St.	Madison Ave & Empire State Plaza, Albany	I-787, I-90, Rt. 4	Formerly Route #24 until September 2009	No Sunday service
280	River St. & Front St.	Vanderhyden Hall	Pawling Ave.	Split from Route #80 in August 2010
286	Sunset Terrace & Forsyth Dr.	Pawling Ave. & Myrtle Ave.	Pawling Ave., 15th St., Congress St.		Runs while RPI is in session
289	Madison Ave. & Project St.	15th St. & Massachusetts Ave.	Pawling Ave., 4th St., 15th St.	Combined from parts of Routes #84 and #89 in September 2009	no Sunday service
522	N Mohawk St, Cohoes	Madison Ave & Empire State Plaza, Albany	I-787	Replaced parts of Routes #35x and #82 in November 2012	weekday express service only
746	Columbia St. & Baker St., Cohoes	3rd Ave. & 112th St., Troy	Columbia St., Vliet Blvd., Manor Ave.		limited weekday service only

Former routes that were part of the Troy Division include:

#15 - Rensselaer East Street (merged with Route #14 to form Route #214 in May 2009)
#24 - Albany/Troy via Rensselaer (renumbered Route #224 in September 2009)
#35x - I-787 express (discontinued in November 2012 during Phase 2 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#81 - Baker Street (discontinued during the late 1990s)
#82 - Troy/Cohoes/Green Island (discontinued in November 2012 during Phase 2 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#84 - Watervliet (discontinued in September 2009 due to low ridership)
#86 - Sycaway (combined with Route #87 Beman Park circa 1990)
#88 - Troy/Mechanicville/Stillwater (discontinued during the mid-1990s due to low ridership)
Old #90 - Troy/Latham (merged with Route #17, Four Mall Circuit, during the late 1990s)
New #90 - Troy/Latham/Crossgates (discontinued in November 2012 during Phase 2 of the Albany County Route Restructuring)
#90x - Troy/State Office Campus Express (discontinued in November 2010 due to low ridership)
#432 - Troy/Mechanicville (discontinued in May 2012 due to low ridership)
#620 - Shuttle Bee (Route 4, Hannaford Plaza to HVCC - discontinued in May 2011 due to low ridership)

Other services

Shuttles

CDTA formerly ran three suburban shuttles, all operated by Albany Division, that used smaller cutaway vans, with the purpose of serving offices and major points of interest not on main CDTA routes, nor needing full sized buses. In November 2012, all Shuttle services were discontinued and replaced with fixed-route service during Phase 2 of the Albany County reconstructing. Two new bus routes (#117 and #155) were created. Route #117 operates between British-American Blvd, Albany International Airport, Wolf Rd, Colonie Center, Crossgates Mall and Twenty Mall. Route #155 operates between Albany International Airport, ITT Tech, NY 155, Washington Ave Ext., Walmart, and Crossgates Mall.

BusPlus

The 2005 plan included the development of bus rapid transit on the Route 5 corridor, between Downtown Albany and Downtown Schenectady, supplementing Route #55 (which handled 20% of CDTA's ridership^[6]). This plan also led to modifications on Routes #1 and #2. Queue jumping and signal priority were planned to make BRT more attractive to the region, after light rail was rejected. As of mid-2007, this part of the 2005 plan was placed on hold.^[7]

In early 2008, CDTA announced that it was going forward with the bus rapid transit line on NY 5, which included 19 upgraded stations.^[8] NY 5 BRT service began on Monday, April 4, 2011, with new silver and red-branded Gillig 40-foot hybrid buses, numbered Route #905 and referred to as BusPlus. When NY 5 BusPlus service began, Route #55 was renumbered Route #355 and shortened to provide Rt. 5 local service, between Downtown Schenectady and Colonie Center. Route #1 continues to provide Rt. 5 local service between Downtown Albany and Colonie Center. Route #55x (the Schenectady/Albany Express buses) was replaced with Routes #530, #531 and #532 (Route #532 was merged with Route #531 on November 13, 2011). Route #2 was replaced with Route #125, during Phase 1 of the Albany County Route Restructuring in November 2011. BusPlus service runs the entire length of the Route 5 corridor, although it currently operates differently from the original plans. In the short term, transit signal priority and queue jump lanes are being constructed and will be rolled out as features of the bus rapid transit service. Articulated buses and ticket vending machines (TVMs) have not been purchased. Although it is called bus rapid transit, Route #905 resembles an enhanced limited-stop service, with only 19 stops between Downtown Schenectady and Downtown Albany. Improvements and expansions to BusPlus are still in planning, with proposed lines along the Washington Ave./Western Ave. corridor in Albany and along the NY 32/Broadway corridor between Downtown Albany, Menands and Troy/Cohoes.

Saratoga "Trolley"

In cooperation with the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, CDTA operates open-air trolleys from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day between Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Saratoga Race Course and Broadway. In the past, the trolley ran between Skidmore College and Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Route #471 provided summer service to the Saratoga Race Course, but was discontinued at the end of Summer 2010, due to low ridership. In Summer 2011, the trolley was changed to provide service to the Race Course and other areas, previously served by Route #471. As a result, trolley service to Skidmore College was discontinued. Route #473 continues to provide year-round service to Skidmore College. While not marked as such on the vehicles, this service appears as Route #875 on the Saratoga Service map.

STAR Service

In 1982, CDTA began providing paratransit services to riders who are medically unable to take regular transit services. ADA wheelchair-accessible buses were added in 1988; since 2004, all CDTA routes have been wheelchair-accessible. The Star fleet has had a variety of minibuses. Though for most of its history it has been dominated by the Orion II low-floor minibus, STAR has begun replacing older models with Startrans "Senator" cutaway vehicles. Other minibuses in the fleet include Ford "ELF" minibuses and several transfers from suburban shuttle routes (see below).

NX: Northway Xpress

Northway Xpress bus

The NX: Northway Xpress is a group of express routes that links Albany to towns in Saratoga County which is operated under contract to Upstate Transit (which had been contracted to run the service since 2006). These routes run from Saratoga Springs, Ballston Spa, Malta, Clifton Park, Round Lake, and South Glens Falls to Downtown Albany. In October 2012, Northway Express fares and schedules were redesigned to increase ridership and service efficiency. Fare structure was consolidated from 5 zones to 3 zones, with the addition of an unlimited ride prepayment card. Service was also eliminated from areas with low ridership, including Mechanicville, Stillwater, Albany International Airport, SUNY Albany, Wolf Road and the Harriman State Office Campus. In May 2014, Northway Express service was expanded to Corporate Woods.

Zone	Northway Exits	Municipalities	Cash	10-trip	Monthly Swiper
1	Exits 8 & 9	Clifton Park, Halfmoon	$4.00	$35.00	$110.00
2	Exits 11 & 12	Ballston Spa, Malta, Milton, Round Lake	$5.00	$39.00	$125.00
3	Exits 15 & 17	Saratoga Springs, South Glens Falls, Wilton	$7.00	$50.00	$170.00

Rural service

Until 2012, CDTA operated rural/lifeline services to several areas in rural Albany and Rensselaer counties, once per week, including routes #810 (Berne/Knox), #812 (Rensselaerville), #870 (Saratoga County Shuttle), and #96 (Rensselaer Rural, with summer Grafton State Park service); as part of CDTA's route restructuring, these routes are being phased out.

Fleet

Active fleet

All buses are wheelchair accessible.

Year	Builder	Model	Length (feet)	Width (inches)	Seating	Numbers	Operators
1999	Motor Coach Industries	102DW3SS	40	102	Suburban	312-315
1999	Nova Bus	LFS TL40-102	40	102	Transit	9901-9949 (some retired)	CDTA Albany
1999	Nova Bus	LFS TL40-102	40	102	Suburban	9950-9959
2000	Nova Bus	LFS TL40-102	40	102	Suburban	3001-3011	CDTA Albany
2000	Nova Bus	LFS TL40-102	40	102	Transit	3021-3030	CDTA Schenectady, Albany
2002	Motor Coach Industries	D4000	40	102	Suburban	316-319
2004	Coach & Equipment	Condor	25	96	Transit	401-402	CDTA Albany
2005	Supreme	Senator	25	96	Paratransit	200-219	CDTA Albany, Schenectady, Troy
2006	ElDorado National	AeroElite	25	96	Transit	403-408	CDTA Albany, Schenectady
2006	Motor Coach Industries	D4500CL	45	102	Suburban	320-324
2007	Gillig	Low Floor T-40	40	102	Transit	4000-4007	CDTA Troy
2007	Gillig	Low Floor T-40 BRT Hybrid	41	102	Transit	4008H-4013H	CDTA Schenectady
2007	Gillig	Low Floor T-29	30	102	Transit	3100-3107	CDTA Schenectady
2007	Supreme	Senator	25	96	Paratransit	220-229	CDTA Albany, Schenectady, Troy
2008	ElDorado National	AeroElite	25	96	Transit	409-415	CDTA Albany
2008	Gillig	Low Floor T-40 BRT Hybrid	40	102	Transit	4014H-4019H	CDTA Schenectady
2008	Gillig	Low Floor T-40 Hybrid	40	102	Transit	325H	CDTA Albany
2008	Gillig	Low Floor T-40 Hybrid	40	102	Transit	4020H-4028H	CDTA Schenectady
2009	Gillig	Low Floor T-40 Hybrid	40	102	Transit	4029H-4047H	CDTA Troy
2010	Gillig	Low Floor T-40 Hybrid	40	102	Transit	4048H-4055H	CDTA Troy
2010	Gillig	Low Floor T-40	40	102	Transit	4056-4072	CDTA Troy
2010	Gillig	Low Floor T-40 BRT Hybrid	40	102	Transit	5500H-5514H	CDTA Schenectady
2012	Gillig	Low Floor T-40	40	102	Transit	4073-4092	CDTA Albany
2013	Gillig	Low Floor T-40	40	102	Transit	4093-4108	CDTA Albany
2013	Gillig	Low Floor T-40 Hybrid	40	102	Transit	4109H-4112H	CDTA Albany
2014	Gillig	Low Floor T-40	40	102	Transit	4113-4127	CDTA Albany

Future fleet

The Gillig buses are part of a five-year contract between CDTA and Gillig awarded in April 2006, that replaced most of the 1998 Orion VI fleet.^[9] In December 2014, CDTA also awarded a contract with New Flyer for 20 articulated buses to be delivered over a five-year period.

Fares

The CDTA increased fares on April 1, 2009, to close a $9 million budget gap. As of August 2012, CDTA bus fares are:

Base fare: $1.50
BusPlus Fare: $2.00
Day pass: $4.00
10 Trip pass: $13.00
3 Day Visitor Pass: $10.00
Monthly 5-day "Swiper": $55.00
Monthly 7-day "Swiper": $65.00
STAR Service: $2.50
STAR 13 Trip Ticket Book: $30.00
Summer Fun Pass (for riders 17 and under) (Valid from July 1 to Aug 31st): $30

Senior citizens over age 65 and disabled persons qualify for reduced fares if they present valid Medicare ID or other government-issued ID.

Transit development plan

In 2005, CDTA commissioned a transit development plan that would create a planned environment to react to needed changes in the CDTA organization.^[7]

Parts of this plan have included:

Replacing similar amounts of transit vehicles each year over an expected twelve-year life span, creating a more uniform expectation of vehicles needing replacement, also replacing few and larger orders. This began in 2007, and is expected to reduce the costs of maintaining an aging fleet.^[10]
Replacing Orion VI buses by 2012 and the NABI and NovaBus LFS buses by 2016.
Installing LED destination signs on all vehicles, replacing expensive curtain style signage.
Expansion of service in Saratoga Springs, which took place in July 2007, in addition a further expansion is planned, and includes erecting and opening of a bus garage in Saratoga Springs for Saratoga County vehicles.
Redrawing bus routes in hopes to better serve riders, starting with Schenectady-based routes in the second half of 2007.
Implementation of a three-digit route system, in which the first digit will serve as an indication of the route's primary base. As part of the new three-digit system, 100 routes represent Albany Division, 200 routes represent Troy Division, 300 routes represent Schenectady Division, 400 routes represent Saratoga service, 500 routes represent express route service, 600 routes represent shuttle service, 700 routes represent commuter service, 800 routes represent rural service and 900 routes represent Bus Rapid Transit service.

References

↑ "CDTA Annual Report 2009-2010" (PDF). Capital District Transportation Authority. August 31, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
1 2 3 "Operational Summary". Capital District Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
↑ "Board of Directors - CDTA". Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA). Retrieved 12 August 2012.
↑ "CDTA TO HOLD WORKSHOPS FOR SARATOGA RESTRUCTURING". Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA). Retrieved 30 November 2015.
↑ "Saratoga Shopping Shuttle Out of the Gate". Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA). Retrieved 20 August 2015.
↑ "Annual Route Performance Report". CDTA. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
1 2 transit development plan Archived February 14, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
↑ Woodruff, Cathy (January 15, 2008). "CDTA rapid service advances: Bus transit line between Albany, Schenectady will have upgraded 'stations'". Albany Times-Union. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
↑ Durr, Eric (April 27, 2006). "CDTA board approves $8.3M bus deal". Capital District Business Review. Retrieved 2006-04-27.
↑ Woodruff, Cathy (2006-03-30). "CDTA budget aims to revitalize fleet". Albany Times-Union. Retrieved March 30, 2006.

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