2010 Service Evaluation

2011 Service Proposals

2009 -- 2010 Route Performance Review

Introduction
This is the CDTA annual report on route performance for fixed route and flexible services covering fiscal
year 2010 (April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010). The report includes an evaluation of objective information
on ridership and productivity along with recommendations for route adjustments in the coming year. In
addition, this year’s report includes a review of service changes that have occurred and the impact on
ridership. This report will guide our planning activities through 2011 and help the organization use its
resources effectively.

State of Affairs
During 2009-10, major changes occurred that had a significant effect on CDTA’s ridership and service.
First, gas prices fell sharply from their previous high, which had been the primary contributor to record
breaking ridership levels in the previous fiscal year (FY09). Secondly, due to the recession, its effect of
funding sources, and resulting deficit, CDTA raised fares for the first time since 1994 and reduced over
35,000 hours of service. These factors led to an erosion of the previous year’s ridership by -10%.

CDTA conducted large-scale route restructurings throughout the region, not only to reduce service-hours,
but also to reorient our routes in accordance with the principles in the Transit Development Plan to
increase ridership. This report describes these route changes and their results.

At the time of the writing of this report, operating funds from the State of New York continue to be
reduced forcing a reduction and refocus of services. With the majority of very unproductive services (the
“low hanging fruit”) already eliminated, we are being forced to make difficult decisions on how to
continue to increase efficiency while impacting the fewest customers possible.

Existing Route Evaluation

This evaluation focuses on CDTA’s trunk, neighborhood, express, shuttle, and rural routes which are
evaluated on two primary criteria:
ƒ Total Riders: The easiest way to understand and evaluate transit service is to look at annual
ridership. CDTA’s Route Classification system establishes thresholds and ranges of ridership by
route category. Acceptable annual ridership thresholds vary depending on the type of service:
Trunk – 250,000 riders
Neighborhood – 100,000 riders
Shuttle – 75,000 riders
Express – 30,000 riders
Rural – 1,000 riders

Page 1 of 21
 ƒ Riders per Revenue Hour: The number of riders per revenue-hour measures a route’s
productivity and indicates whether resources are being used efficiently. A route may have high
ridership, but due to an over allocation of resources, be unproductive.

Acceptable productivity thresholds vary depending on the type of service:

Trunk – 25 riders/hour
Express – 25 riders/hour
Neighborhood – 15 riders/hour
Shuttle – 10 riders/hour
Rural – 5 riders/hour

Routes that fall below acceptable thresholds are analyzed, including an assessment of promotional
opportunities, route changes and schedule adjustments to increase patronage. Routes that exceed the
range for the category, or perform well above the average, are examined to determine if a change in
category is warranted, or if a route restructuring is advisable.

It is possible that a route may perform well in one criteria but not in another. If a route is
underperforming in terms of total riders but overperforming in terms of riders per hour, this could
indicate that the route warrants increased resources. If the opposite is true, a reduction in service may be
warranted.

Although total riders and riders per hour are clear quantitative measures, routes are also evaluated on the
following:

ƒ Ridership Trend over the Previous Three Years: The percent ridership change over time is used
to judge the effectiveness of past route changes and other factors. CDTA provides new and
restructured services with a trial, or growth period to obtain ridership targets.

ƒ Community Service Needs: CDTA provides consideration for vital community services, such as
medical facilities, convalescent centers, and locations that serve the elderly, disabled, and other special
need populations.

The following tables show the fiscal year 2010 (April 2009 to March 2010) performance data by route
classification for CDTA routes.

Page 2 of 21
 FY 2009-2010 PERFORMANCE
TRUNK ROUTES
Ranked by Riders per Revenue-Hour
% Rider Riders per
Revenue-
Route Description Total Riders change Revenue Comment
Hours
06-09 Hour
Warrants additional resources;
55 Schenectady-Albany* 2,002,727 49,403 6.6% 40.5 BusPlus service proposed for 2010

12 Washington Avenue 1,104,128 28,792 18.2% 38.3 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

1 Central Ave./Wolf Rd. 875,709 25,406 18.7% 34.5 BusPlus service proposed for 2010

22 Albany-Troy-Watervliet 1,072,827 34,611 15.9% 31.0 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

10 Western Avenue 915,681 33,083 -3.9% 27.7 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

11 UAlbany Shuttle 342,426 11,196 -4.0% 30.6 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

Warrants Sunday service; Above productivity

18 Delaware Avenue 350,234 13,293 5.8% 26.3 threshold
Included in Albany County Route Restructuring
Below productivity
85 Troy-Waterford 547,857 22,660 7.7% 24.2 threshold

8 Arbor Hill 608,021 25,353 14.4% 24.0 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

6 Second Avenue 324,461 13,732 -10.5% 23.6 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

87 Beman Park Sycaway 379,979 16,251 12.5% 23.4

7 Glenmont 211,999 9,186 -10.9% 23.1 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

13 New Scotland Avenue 559,952 25,222 4.8% 22.2 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

Route split into #80 / #280 based on differing ridership patterns north and south of
80 Albia-Fifth Avenue 409,779 20,220 -2.1% 20.3 downtown Troy (September 2010)

70 Troy-Schenectady 227,026 11,679 0.4% 19.4 Lacking frequency of a trunk route and Sunday service

Lacking frequency of a trunk route and Sunday service

90 Troy-Latham-Crossgates 255,081 14,328 2.7% 17.8 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)
Major increase in service hours in 2007 but still lacking the frequency of a trunk
50 Route 50 222,600 18,051 3083.6% 12.3 route
TOTAL 10,410,487 372,466
AVERAGE 612,382 21,910 28.0
AVERAGE (excluding #55) 525,485 20,191 26.0
% of System 77.1% 61.6%

NOTES:
• Many trunk routes are just below 25 riders/hour and with small changes in routing, frequency, and span could
easily surpass the productivity threshold. Many of these are included in the Albany County Route
Restructuring and will be addressed in the summer of 2011.

• Trunk routes carry the majority of our customers and on average have the highest productivity. The most
productive trunk routes experience overcrowding during peak time periods as capacity is inadequate for the
level of demand. For NY5 service, we have identified that a capital purchase of higher capacity vehicles would
be a cost effective way to address the existing capacity constraints.

• Trunk routes carry more riders per service hour devoted to them than any other route classification.
When improvements have been made in terms of frequency and span to trunk routes in the past, they have
yielded strong returns. Strengthening our base at every opportunity should continue.

Page 3 of 21
 FY 2009-2010 PERFORMANCE
NEIGHBORHOOD ROUTES
Ranked by Riders per Revenue-Hour
% Rider Riders per
Total Revenue-
Route Description change Revenue Comment
Riders Hours
06-09 Hour

62 State-McClellan 106,000 3,768 -11.1% 28.1 Replaced as part of Schenectady Route Restructuring (May 2010)

61 Van Vranken Avenue 85,337 3,740 -7.3% 22.8 Replaced as part of Schenectady Route Restructuring (May 2010)

52 Scotia/Crane Street 81,377 3,837 -46.1% 21.2 Replaced as part of Schenectady Route Restructuring (May 2010)

51 Broadway 72,536 3,643 9.4% 19.9 Replaced as part of Schenectady Route Restructuring (May 2010)

2 West Albany 317,890 16,053 3.2% 19.8 Reduced peak and mid-day frequency (August 2010)

224 Albany-Troy via I-90 168,437 8,800 17.1% 19.1 Reconfiguration of #24 via I-90/I-787 (September 2009)

54 Scotia Wal-Mart 77,375 4,044 10.1% 19.1 Replaced as part of Schenectady Route Restructuring (May 2010)

3 Quail St. Belt 150,363 8,192 -23.6% 18.4 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

214 Rensselaer 3rd Street 179,565 10,228 N/A 17.6 Consolidated with former #15 and extended to Walmart (May 2010)

29 Albany-Cohoes Via Route 9 174,913 11,344 18.8% 15.4 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

Altamont Avenue /
53 51,898 3,381 0.6% 15.3 Replaced as part of Schenectady Route Restructuring (May 2010)
Hamburg Street
9 Whitehall Rd. 102,314 6,742 -16.1% 15.2 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

Above productivity
30 Belt via Hackett 114,808 7,599 0.3% 15.1 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011) threshold
Below productivity
63 Route 20 55,906 3,950 -25.1% 14.2 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011) threshold

31 Shaker Road 21,554 1,531 6.6% 14.1 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

82 Troy-Cohoes Via Green Island 165,722 11,844 -3.3% 14.0 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

59 Nott Street 36,056 2,803 -45.0% 12.9 Replaced as part of Schenectady Route Restructuring (May 2010)

77 Schenectady North Loop 13,423 1,084 -45.1% 12.4 Replaced as part of Schenectady Route Restructuring (May 2010)

Consolidated with former #84 and extended to St. Mary's Hospital

289 Griswold Heights - St. Mary's 64,015 5,210 N/A 12.3
(September 2009)

4 #4 Pine Hills & #27 Corp Woods 79,717 7,446 -22.9% 10.7 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

232 Hampton Manor 14,004 1,350 N/A 10.4 Weekday / peak hour route created from deviations of the former #33

233 Albany / Schodack 44,200 4,462 N/A 9.9 Mainline route created from base pattern of the former #33

472 Lake Avenue 36,336 5,798 N/A 6.3

Short-turn in downtown after 9pm & additional weekend night service
473 Jefferson Street 67,567 11,216 N/A 6.0
as part of new Skidmore College contract (August 2010)

66 Schenectady South 3,616 808 27.1% 4.5 Replaced as part of Schenectady Route Restructuring (May 2010)

471 Union Avenue 5,606 1,493 N/A 3.8 Seasonal service

286 RPI Shuttle 17,511 6,805 -12.4% 2.6 Contracted service with RPI

TOTAL 2,308,046 157,172

AVERAGE 85,483 5,821 14.7
% of System 17.1% 26.0%
*% Rider Change unavailable for certain routes due to data unavailable or routes that have not been in service for entire three years

Route eliminated/consolidated in 2010 route restructurings

NOTES:
ƒ Several neighborhood routes underperform in terms of yearly ridership and riders per revenue-hour. This is where
route restructuring and public outreach is most warranted.
ƒ Routes such as the #2, #29, #82, and #473 are allocated revenue-hours that are at trunk route levels. Restructuring
or reduction in frequency and span will provide a more efficient level of service and allow reallocation to trunk
routes.
ƒ When comparing % of ridership vs % of revenue-hours, neighborhood routes are shown to have substantially more
resources allocated compared to the number of riders using this route classification.

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 FY 2009-2010 PERFORMANCE

Ranked by Riders per Revenue-Hour EXPRESS ROUTES

% Rider Riders per
Revenue-
Route Description Total Riders change Revenue Comment
Hours
06-09 Hour

55X (57) Schenectady-Albany 157,765 4,837 47.0% 32.6 To be restructured as part of BusPlus (April 2011)
Above productivity
35X Troy-Albany 35,544 1,412 -3.0% 25.2 threshold
Harriman Campus and Wolf Rd trips to be eliminated with Below productivity
540 Northway Express 181,900 12,073 6.7% 15.1 threshold
Mechanicville trip operated in-house (November 2010)

520 Nassau 23,582 1,572 N/A 15.0

56X Schenectady-State Campus 8,705 606 -2.3% 14.4 Eliminated (May 2010)

21X Altamont 17,259 1,208 -5.5% 14.3 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

19 Voorheesville 17,217 1,304 -48.3% 13.2 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring (Summer 2011)

90X Troy-State Campus 856 395 N/A 2.2 To be eliminated (November 2010)

TOTAL 442,828 23,406

AVERAGE 55,353 2,926 18.9
% of System 3.3% 3.9%
NOTES:
ƒ CDTA operates two forms of expresses - Park & ride based service operating almost entirely on highways
with a higher fare structure (#540 - NX) and feeder-express service with a standard fare.
SHUTTLE
ƒ CDTA is currently conducting the Regional Park & RideROUTES
/ Express Bus study which will create a
comprehensive plan for express bus services in the region

Ranked by Riders per Revenue-Hour

SHUTTLE ROUTES
% Rider Riders per
Revenue-
Route Description Total Riders change Revenue Comment
Hours
06-09 Hour
To be restructure and renumbered as #610 with increased segments operating as Below productivity
26 Shuttle Fly 140,641 15,745 58.1% 8.9 threshold
fixed-route with established stops (November 2010)
To be restructure and renumbered as #611 and #612 with increased segments
27 Shuttle Bug 98,342 17,949 33.2% 5.5
operating as fixed-route with established stops (November 2010)

620 Flex Service Bee 15,123 5,079 -46.4% 3.0

TOTAL 254,106 23,028

AVERAGE 84,702 12,924 6.6
% of System 1.9% 3.8%

NOTES:
ƒ All shuttles are below minimum productivity thresholds and may warrant a reduction of service hours, which
are at the level of most trunk routes.

Ranked by Riders per Revenue-Hour

RURAL ROUTES
% Rider Riders per
Revenue-
Route Description Total Riders change Revenue Comment
Hours
06-09 Hour

96 Renssealer Rural 3,441 498 2.0% 6.9 Excessive resources allocated as route operate 5-days a week
Above productivity
810 Berne / Knox 800 145 N/A 5.5 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring threshold
Below productivity
812 Rensselaerville 335 133 N/A 2.5 Included in Albany County Route Restructuring
threshold
870 County Shuttle 4,829 2,298 N/A 2.1 Reduced to one-day a week (May 2010)

TOTAL 9,405 3,074

AVERAGE 2,351 769 3.1
% of System 0.1% 0.5%

NOTES:
ƒ Rural routes are life-line services to rural areas and primarily operate 1 day a week
ƒ Dial-a-ride service will be explored as an alternative for certain rural rotues
Route eliminated/consolidated in 2010 route

Page 5 of 21
New Service Evaluation Process
Due to changing development patterns, employment sites, and residential population, we constantly
analyze new service needs, using the criteria listed below. New services or improvements to existing
services are evaluated with respect to design guidelines and consistency with adopted policy principles.
We weigh service investment decisions to provide incentives for community support of transit in policy,
funding, zoning, and site design.
New services depend on our budget and can only be initiated when funding allows (surplus, resource
reallocation, or pilot grant funding). Due to our current financial situation, no service expansions are
possible unless they are supported by an outside source, such as a grant or reimbursement from the
requesting businesses or organization.
Introduction of new services are subject to a trial period before becoming permanent, and have
performance targets commensurate with the service category and level identified prior to implementation.
Proposals are evaluated in terms of market effectiveness using objective criteria.
ƒ Market Potential: Potential ridership for new service is determined based on the demographic
profile of an area (density, income level, ridership generators, and other demographic characteristics).
The Transit Propensity Index (TPI) is a measurement tool developed as part of our Transit
Development Plan. It provides a relative measure of an area’s likelihood to support new or
improved service.
Market potential can also be determined by employer commitment to fare subsidies, parking fees,
and/or priority bus entry and loading areas. Travel demand management programs present another
opportunity to meet existing market potential and “grow the market” to that needed to support fixed
route transit.

ƒ Route Spacing & Network Connectivity: New service should avoid duplication with existing
services. In general, a quarter mile is the maximum distance a customer will walk to a bus route, so
to avoid overlapping service areas trunk routes should be no closer than half a mile. In the Capital
Region the radial street pattern into city centers makes this a difficult rule to follow precisely, but the
goal is for major routes to be spaced so people are within walking distance of a bus stop. In rural or
suburban areas, route spacing is dictated by travel corridors, park and ride lots, and pedestrian
infrastructure.
For neighborhood and feeder routes, the focus is on connections to trunk routes to maximize
geographic coverage. These routes should provide cross-town service, interconnecting trunk routes
and providing multiple directions of travel. Local and trunk services should be designed so that trips
require no more than one transfer.

ƒ Pedestrian Accommodations: Transit accessibility is directly related to the pedestrian

environment. The presence of pedestrian infrastructure (sidewalks, ramps, crosswalks, signals with
pedestrian phases) has a major impact on whether transit service is successful. Lack of safe
pedestrian access to a route can be sufficient to prevent a new route from attracting riders.

ƒ Geographic Equity: Underserved areas of the region are identified by objective data related to
underlying market characteristics. Comparable service should be provided in comparable areas.
ƒ Community-Based Service Needs: We provide special consideration for community services, like
medical facilities, convalescent centers, and locations that serve the elderly, disabled, and other special
need populations. Benefits to non-users of transit services can also be a consideration, such as
reducing travel congestion.

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 2009-2010 Service Changes
In the last two years CDTA has implemented a number of service changes to reduce operating costs and
to realign service with demand. Nearly 40,000 hours of service were eliminated while routes were
rerouted to access grocery stores, employment centers, and other desirable destinations. The following
table describes each minor and major service change from January 2009 to September 2010.

Change in
Route Name Service Change Service Improvement Date
Annual Hours

September
2 West Albany Reduction in peak and mid-day frequency -4,225
2010

May
5 Northern Boulevard Eliminated due to low ridership and consolidated with #6 -3,400
2009

Rerouted to eliminate duplicitive service with #22 and consolidate with Direct access to St. Peters Hospital and Albany Memorial May
6 Second Avenue -
#5 Hospital 2009

Move route to N Pearl Street for access to Ida Yardbourgh September

8 Arbor Hill Eliminated deviations to Thruway Authority; -
Homes; Improved route uniformity (reduce variants) 2009

May
9 Whitehall Road Eliminated Saturday service due to low ridership -420
2009

Rensselaer Consolidation with #15 to replaced with new route #214; Eliminate May
14 -
3rd Street / Amtrak deviation to West Sand Lake; 2009

Rensselaer Eliminated due to low ridership and consolidated with #14 into new route May
15 -1,860
East Street #214 2009

Downtown Albany January

16 Eliminated due to low ridership -4,960
Circulator 2009

May
18 Delaware Avenue Eliminated deviation on Fernbank Ave due to low ridership Improved route uniformity -
2009

Albany - Troy Rerouted via highway to reduce travel time between HVCC September
24 104
via Rensselaer and Downtown Albany; Renumber to #224 2009

Albany - Cohoes September

29 Eliminated deviation to Latham Circle Mall due to low ridership Improved route uniformity -
via Route 9 2009

Numerous route patterns divided into three distinct routes (#232, #233, May
33 Nassau Improved route uniformity 1080
#520); Segments with low ridership eliminated 2009

Increased service to relocated Department of Social January

Reroute for two-way service and eliminate variants due to low ridership -
Services 2009
51 Broadway
Replaced with new neighborhood route system as part of Schenectady May
-
route restructuring with productive segments incorporated into #351 2010

Mont Pleasant / Replaced with new neighborhood route system as part of Schenectady May
52 -
Crane Street route restructuring with productive segments incorporated into #353 2010

May
Eliminated all trips to General Electric due to low ridership -
2009
Altamont Avenue /
53
Hamburg Street
Replaced with new neighborhood route system as part of Schenectady May
-
route restructuring with productive segments incorporated into #352 2010

Replaced with new neighborhood route system as part of Schenectady May

54 Scotia / Walmart -
route restructuring with productive segments incorporated into #353 2010

Eliminated all trips to General Electric due to low ridership -

May
55 Schenectady-Albany
2009
Added PM Peak bus (cost offset by reduction in stubs and late slips) Improved on-time performance -

Schenectady - September
56x Eliminated due to low ridership and cost of operations -1,127
State Campus 2010

May
Eliminated deviation to General Electric due to low ridership
2009
59 Nott Street
Replaced with new neighborhood route system as part of Schenectady May
-
route restructuring with productive segments incorporated into #354 2010

Page 7 of 21
 Change in
Route Name Service Change Service Improvement Date
Annual Hours

September
2 West Albany Reduction in peak and mid-day frequency -4,225
2010

May
5 Northern Boulevard Eliminated due to low ridership and consolidated with #6 -3,400
2009

Rerouted to eliminate duplicitive service with #22 and consolidate with Direct access to St. Peters Hospital and Albany Memorial May
6 Second Avenue -
#5 Hospital 2009

Move route to N Pearl Street for access to Ida Yardbourgh September

8 Arbor Hill Eliminated deviations to Thruway Authority; -
Homes; Improved route uniformity (reduce variants) 2009

May
9 Whitehall Road Eliminated Saturday service due to low ridership -420
2009

Rensselaer Consolidation with #15 to replaced with new route #214; Eliminate May
14 -
3rd Street / Amtrak deviation to West Sand Lake; 2009

Rensselaer Eliminated due to low ridership and consolidated with #14 into new route May
15 -1,860
East Street #214 2009

Downtown Albany January

16 Eliminated due to low ridership -4,960
Circulator 2009

May
18 Delaware Avenue Eliminated deviation on Fernbank Ave due to low ridership Improved route uniformity -
2009

Albany - Troy Rerouted via highway to reduce travel time between HVCC September
24 104
via Rensselaer and Downtown Albany; Renumber to #224 2009

Albany - Cohoes September

29 Eliminated deviation to Latham Circle Mall due to low ridership Improved route uniformity -
via Route 9 2009

Numerous route patterns divided into three distinct routes (#232, #233, May
33 Nassau Improved route uniformity 1080
#520); Segments with low ridership eliminated 2009

Increased service to relocated Department of Social January

Reroute for two-way service and eliminate variants due to low ridership -
Services 2009
51 Broadway
Replaced with new neighborhood route system as part of Schenectady May
-
route restructuring with productive segments incorporated into #351 2010

Mont Pleasant / Replaced with new neighborhood route system as part of Schenectady May
52 -
Crane Street route restructuring with productive segments incorporated into #353 2010

May
Eliminated all trips to General Electric due to low ridership -
2009
Altamont Avenue /
53
Hamburg Street
Replaced with new neighborhood route system as part of Schenectady May
-
route restructuring with productive segments incorporated into #352 2010

Replaced with new neighborhood route system as part of Schenectady May

54 Scotia / Walmart -
route restructuring with productive segments incorporated into #353 2010

Eliminated all trips to General Electric due to low ridership -

May
55 Schenectady-Albany
2009
Added PM Peak bus (cost offset by reduction in stubs and late slips) Improved on-time performance -

Schenectady - September
56x Eliminated due to low ridership and cost of operations -1,127
State Campus 2010

May
Eliminated deviation to General Electric due to low ridership
2009
59 Nott Street
Replaced with new neighborhood route system as part of Schenectady May
-
route restructuring with productive segments incorporated into #354 2010

Page 8 of 21
 Change in
Route Name Service Change Service Improvement Date
Annual Hours

New service to shopping centers and apartment complexes

Clifton Park-Malta- May -7900
409 New route introduced as pilot service supported by CMAQ federal grant surrounding Exit 9 as well as mobile home parks adjacent
Saratoga Springs 2010 ( reinbursed)
to Route 9

Union Avenue May

471 Reduced service to seasonal-only (Memorial Day to Labor Day) -4,520
(Seasonal) 2009

May
Added deviation to Embury Apartments due to elimination of #474 -
Jefferson Street / 2009
473
Saratoga Night Loop
Increased late night weekend service September
Short-turned at 9pm in downtown -789
(reinbursed by Skidmore College service contract) 2010

May
474 Saratoga City Shuttle Eliminated due to low ridership -2,630
2009

Albany-Nassau Increased number of express trips from Nassau and May

520 New Route (from former #33) -
Express Schodack P&R 2009

Flex Service Route travels entire length of Rt 4 continously from Rt 9/20 May
620 New numbering/branding for Shuttle Bee -
Shuttle Bee to HVCC 2009

September
811 Westerlo Eliminated due to low ridership -230
2009

September
830 Duanesberg Eliminated due to low ridership -180
2009

Saratoga County May

870 Reduced to one-day a week to align with ridership demand -1,974
Shuttle 2010

January
Albany High Trippers Adjusted tripper capacity to meet demand -
2009

September
Troy Shopping Buses Restructured into two distinct runs -300
2009

Increased Days with Holiday Martin Luther King Day September

Veterans Day -4,500
Service 2009
Presidents Day
2009 Reduction in Hours -26,800

2010 Reduction in Hours -10,200

Total Reduction in Hours -37,000

Page 9 of 21
Impacts of Major Route Restructurings
Many of the service changes that took place over the last two years occurred as restructurings that
involved multiple routes. They have been in place for over a year and can be reviewed to determine
impact on ridership and productivity. Several routes that were restructured have had such
substantial changes that make direct comparisons difficult.

#33 Split - #232, #233, #520

Date: May 2009
In May 2009, CDTA restructured the route #33 into three distinct routes #232, #233, #520.
Route #33 was one of CDTA’s most confusing routes with 5 different variants.
− The #520 now operates as a peak feeder-express traveling local from the village of Nassau to
the Schodack park & ride lot and then traveling express to downtown Albany.
− The #232 operates peak-only local service on Columbia Turnpike (Route 9 & 20) to the
neighborhood of Hampton Manor (it was later extended to 3rd Avenue and the Defreestville
park & ride lot).
− The #233 provides service throughout the day, operates on Columbia Turnpike from the
Schodack park & ride to downtown Albany, and accesses shopping centers and relatively
dense suburban neighborhoods. Mid-day service was added to assess whether the corridor
would generate ridership beyond commuters.
The following chart shows the ridership of the three routes combined from June 2009 to July 2010.

Former #33 Routes
9,000

8,000

7,000

6,000
Total Ridership

520
5,000
233
4,000 232

3,000

2,000

1,000

Month

Page 10 of 21
Ridership Trend:
Ridership on these routes has fluctuated over the months since they began service. This may be
attributed to the nature of the service, which is primarily used by choice riders who are easily
swayed to and from service depending on gas prices and weather.

Productivity:
#232: 10 riders/hour
#233: 10 riders/hour
#520: 15 riders/hour

These routes have been in existence for over a year allowing enough time to attract ridership, but
all of the routes are below their related productivity thresholds.

The #233’s low productivity is attributable to its having triple the amount of service hours
compared to the other routes. The addition of mid-day service will be reviewed and marketed to
non-commuters.

The #520 is the most productive of the three routes, but does not meet the 20 rider/hour
threshold for express routes. Due to its nature it has the highest percentage of choice riders, but a
marketing effort to attract current automobile drivers to the transit service could increase ridership.

The #232 has the lowest ridership and little potential for attracting new ridership as the route
travels in areas where service had existed for decades. Service in this area will be reviewed for
reduction or elimination.

Page 11 of 21
#14/#15 Consolidation - #214
Date: May 2009
CDTA consolidated routes #14 and #15 into one new route #214. Both routes were duplicative
services in the city of Rensselaer and the #15 had low ridership that did not warrant continuation.
The #15 provided service to the Walmart and surrounding shopping centers on Route 4 in East
Greenbush. The #214 was extended to this segment and the #15 eliminated.

The following chart shows the ridership of the three routes combined from June 2009 to July 2010.

Route #214
20,000
18,000
16,000
14,000
Total Ridership

12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0

Month

Ridership Trend:
Ridership on the #214 has increased over the last year. This is especially apparent when one
compares June and July in 2009 with the same months in 2010.

Productivity:
The restructuring can be considered a success as there was not only a substantial savings in service
hours but the route also now surpasses the productivity threshold.

#214: 17 riders/hour (last 12 months)

20 riders/hour (last 3 months)

Page 12 of 21
#5/#6 Consolidation – New #6
Date: May 2009

We consolidated routes #5 and #6 to reduce duplicative services and increase productivity. The
#5 had low ridership and a majority of the route duplicated the #29. The route provided
additional service to Albany Memorial Hospital and service to apartment complexes on Ward’s
Lane in Menands. The #6 was a trunk route primarily serving residents in the South End of
Albany. The route duplicated the #22 north of downtown which provides ample service to these
areas.

The #6 was rerouted on its northern end to operate to Albany Memorial Hospital and Ward’s Lane
and the #5 was eliminated. The #6 was also extended along Whitehall Rd to St. Peter’s Hospital
allowing for direct connections from the South End to two hospitals in the city.

The following chart shows the ridership of the #6 from June 2009 to July 2010.

New Route #6
35000

30000

25000
Total Ridership

20000

15000

10000

5000

Month

Ridership Trend:
Ridership on the #6 was projected to decrease as riders on North Pearl would shift to the #22
once duplication was eliminated. This does not explain the recent drop in ridership (last three
months of service).

Productivity:
The #6 does not meet the productivity threshold for a trunk route but does surpass the threshold
for annual ridership. The route will be reviewed as part of the Albany County Route Restructuring
and additional service changes may be considered.
New #6: 23 riders/hour (previous year)
18 riders/hour (last two months)

Page 13 of 21
#84/#89 Consolidation - #289
Date: September 2009

We consolidated routes #84 and #89 into a new route #289. The #84 had low ridership but was
the only service to St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy. The majority of the riders on the #89 were
traveling between Griswold Heights and Pawling Avenue to downtown Troy.

The #289 was created by rerouting the #89 and providing a direct connection to downtown. The
route was extended to St. Mary’s Hospital allowing for the #84 to be eliminated. Service hours
were extended until 11:00pm to allow more service to Griswold Heights and meet shift changes at
St. Mary’s hospital.

The following chart shows the ridership of #289 from October 2009 to July 2010.

Route 289
7000

6000

5000
Total Ridesrhip

4000

3000

2000

1000

Month

Ridership Trend:
Ridership on the #289 has remained consistent since its inception (grew slightly in the spring).

Productivity:
The #289 is just below the productivity threshold for a neighborhood route. No overall
conclusions can be made until ridership has been reviewed for an entire year. The route, especially
the additional night service, will continue to be monitored for minor service changes.
#289: 13 riders/hour (last 3 months)

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Schenectady County Route Restructuring
Date: May 2010
Schenectady County neighborhood routes (#51, #52, #53, #54, #59, #61, #62, #66, #77) were
restructured to improve service for existing riders and attract new riders. The planning process
involved substantial community input through stakeholder interviews and public meetings for
people to share their ideas for service. The restructuring was nearly budget-neutral with only a
small increase in service hours.

Five new cross-town neighborhood routes (#351, #352, #353, #354, #358) were created with the
following improvements:
− Later night service on all neighborhood routes;
− Reduced transfers with establishment of cross-town routes;
− Increased service to major generators such as Ellis Hospital and Rotterdam Square Mall;
− Increased access to grocery stores (Altamont Avenue Price Chopper and Glenville
SuperWalmart)

The following chart shows the ridership of new routes for the first three months of operation.

Ridership Trend:
Schenectady County Since rollout of the new
Neighborhood Routes neighborhood routes, ridership has
steadily increased on all routes, but
45,000
substantially on the #353 and
40,000 #354.

35,000 358 Productivity:

354 The #351, #353, and #354 have
30,000 the highest ridership and meet or
Total  Ridership

353 exceed productivity thresholds.

25,000 The #352 and #358 are below the
352
threshold, which can be partially
20,000 351 attributed to the fact that they are
15,000 the two routes that do not enter
downtown and most riders need to
10,000 transfer to complete their trip.

5,000 #351: 15 riders/hour

#352: 8 riders/hour
0 #353: 18 riders/hour
June 2010 July 2010 August 2010 #354: 23 riders/hour
Month
#358: 5 riders/hour

We will review the neighborhood services in Schenectady in the spring of 2011 when they have
been in operation an entire year.

Page 15 of 21
Bus Stop Consolidation
Date: May, September, and November 2009

In addition to service changes, we consolidated bus stops on all trunk routes to improve on-time
performance and improve rider safety. Over 300 stops were eliminated with trunk routes now
stopping every 2-3 blocks, instead of every block. Stop locations were determined based upon the
following criteria in order of importance:
Safety – Stops were located at traffic signals or crosswalks to allow riders to safely cross the road.
Spacing – Stops were spaced roughly every 1,000 feet, which is equivalent to 2-3 city blocks.
Ridership – Stops with significantly high ridership may have a shorter spacing then listed above.

The following table lists each route where stop consolidations occurred:

Route Corridor Consolidated Month # of Stops % of Stops

1 As part of #55 May 2009 ‐

6 Entire route May 2009 32 ‐19%

7 As part of #6 May 2009 ‐

8 Outside of downtown Albany November 2009 14 ‐14%

10 Between Fuller Rd and Manning Blvd September 2009 22 ‐18%

11 As part of #10 September 2009 ‐

12 Between Brevator Street and Allen Street September 2009 18 ‐21%

13 West of Madison Avenue September 2009 25 ‐21%

May 2009
18 South of Holland Avenue
November 2009
40 ‐23%

22 North Albany, Menands, Watervliet November 2009 16 ‐16%

55 Between downtown Albany and downtown Schenectady May 2009 19 ‐10%

70 West of Hudson River to outside downtown Schenectady November 2009 25 ‐16%

80 North of downtown Troy September 2009 33 ‐19%

85 Entire route November 2009 31 ‐21%

87 Hoosick Street November 2009 3 ‐4%

90 As part of #70 November 2009 ‐

214 Within City of Renssealer May 2009 22 ‐22%

233 East of Hudson River May 2009 17 ‐7%

289 Griswold Heights September 2009 3 ‐5%

TOTAL Stops Consolidated 320

Page 16 of 21
Service Recommendations for 2010
An objective of this route performance review is to determine direction for the upcoming year.
While the goal of service changes in 2009 and 2010 was to reduce service, the focus of 2011 is to
maintain service levels, but restructure routes to increase system-wide productivity through
reallocation of resources. The work plan that follows groups routes geographically so that routes
that interconnect and have similar service areas can be analyzed together.

Albany County
Albany County Route Restructuring
The last two years of service reductions eliminated the majority of unproductive routes in our
system. Remaining unproductive services cannot be outright eliminated as they have segments that
produce sizeable ridership or some other circumstance that justifies their existence (ex. dedicated
funding source).

By comprehensively restructuring Albany County’s route network, we can improve our service with
existing resources. By eliminating service on segments that are unproductive and establishing new
routes that combine productive segments, resources will be better aligned with demand.

We will generate three scenarios for the restructuring depending on our budget situation at the time
of implementation:
1. A decrease in overall service hours if a budget deficit exists
2. A cost-neutral scenario with no net increase or decrease
3. An increase in overall service hours if funding is restored.

Restructuring will be implemented during the spring/summer of 2011 to minimize confusion for
customers. The fall of 2010 will consist of gathering data and public input through surveying on
routes, public meetings, and stakeholder interviews. Although some routes overlap, the following
describes the three distinct geographic areas for each phase:

Northern Albany County

Municipalities: Cohoes, Latham, Green Island, and Watervliet
Routes: #29, #82, #90
Routes #29, #82, and #90 straddle the definition of a trunk and neighborhood with annual
service hours above 10,000 but below 15,000. The routes also straddle the productivity
threshold for neighborhood routes. These routes travel within northern Albany County,
interconnect in Latham, Cohoes and Watervliet, and due to their proximity, can be restructured
into routes with a level of service that align with demand.

We will introduce a peak hour Mechanicville-Waterford-Cohoes-Troy local route in November

2010 to try to grow the market which was previously served by an NX trip. This route will be
monitored and analyzed as part of the Northern Albany county examination.

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City of Albany and adjacent suburbs
Municipalities: Albany, Menands, eastern Guilderland, southern Colonie,
northern Bethlehem
Routes: #2, #3, #4, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #18, #22, #27, #30, #31, #63,
Shuttle Fly (610)
The bulk of service in Albany County exists within the City of Albany and areas directly adjacent
to its border. This area also has the highest number of riders in the region. Many of the
neighborhood routes listed at or below the productivity threshold in this report operate in the
city. Although all of the trunk routes in the city meet or exceed the 25 rider per hour threshold,
there are areas for improvement (small route alignment changes to access new ridership
generators or the elimination of irregular route deviations).

A restructuring of Albany routes will improve service by eliminating duplication between

neighborhood and trunk routes, improving cross-town service, reducing transfers, and
establishing stronger connections between employment sites and neighborhoods outside of the
main corridors.

South / West Suburban Albany County

Municipalities: Guilderland, Slingerlands, Bethlehem, Voorheesville, Altamont,
New Scotland, Berne, Knox, Rensselaerville
Routes: #18, #19, #21x, #63, #810, #812, Shuttle Fly (610), Shuttle Bug (611, 612)
The last group of Albany County routes includes the express, shuttle, and rural routes operating
in municipalities in the south / west of the county. Every route is below its productivity
threshold for route category justifying major changes in these routes whether by restructuring,
reclassification, or out-right elimination.

Shuttle Fly and Shuttle Bug are two shuttle routes with resource levels near that of most trunks
(~15,000 annual service hours), which contribute to their low productivity. The first two phases
of the Albany Route Restructuring may reinforce the need for changes as new fixed-route
service may be provided to the locations that these routes currently serve.

These routes are the last phase of the restructuring because they consist of the least amount of
service and riders, even though they cover the largest area geographic area. Depending on the
time of implementation of the first two phases, the final phase may be delayed.

Page 18 of 21
Rensselaer County
No major service changes are planned for Rensselaer County in 2011-12 as they are productive
routes in CDTA’s system and many routes had been previously restructured. Routes will continue
to be monitored for minor service changes.

Schenectady County
No major service changes are planned for Schenectady County, except for the service changes
associated with the implementation of the BusPlus BRT line in April 2011 discussed below. A
comprehensive restructuring of Schenectady’s neighborhood routes was implemented in May 2010
and all routes will continue to be monitored for minor service changes in spring 2011.

Saratoga County
The route system in Saratoga County was restructured in the summer of 2007 and included a
doubling of resources. Although some of the routes and segments have garnered ridership, the
majority of the system has remained unproductive. After three years of operating, trunk and
neighborhood routes in Saratoga County are far below the minimum thresholds, which led to the
elimination of the #474, #870, and reduction of the #471 to seasonal only.

The Northway Express (NX) is the most productive service in Saratoga County. Many trips
experience capacity loads and those with low ridership will be eliminated in November. As much
of the county is higher income, low density, and auto-oriented, investment in transit should be
focused in commuter-coach, express, and park & ride based service.

Saratoga Springs / Wilton Restructuring

Municipalities: Saratoga Springs, Wilton
Routes: #50, #471, #472, and #473
Saratoga Springs and Wilton do have ridership generators with continued need for quality service
such as downtown Saratoga Springs, Skidmore College, Wilton Mall and surrounding shopping
centers. Although CDTA may still adjust the overall level of service, we plan to conduct a smaller
restructuring to realign the existing service to those areas with demand. Our outreach efforts are
showing that much of the unmet demand and mobility needs in Saratoga County are human
service in nature and coordination with human service agencies may be a better approach than
through fixed route bus service.

Either as part of the route restructuring or as its own service change, CDTA will specifically
review the following:

#473 Short-turn – The #473 is one of Saratoga’s most productive routes as it connects Skidmore
College to downtown Saratoga Springs. The route is still underperforming because the southern
segment from downtown, primarily along Jefferson Street to the Racino, produces little ridership.
CDTA will spend the months of October and November marketing the route to the generators in

Page 19 of 21
 the corridor and will review ridership in the spring of 2011 to determine whether service should be
eliminated from this segment.

#471 Elimination – The #471 was reduced to seasonal-only service in 2009 and operates only
during the summer months. Even with the reduction in service the route is still the second least
productive in CDTA’s system and will be reviewed for elimination.

Route 9 Pilot Service

Municipalities: Clifton Park, Halfmoon, Malta, Round Lake, Saratoga Springs
Routes: #409
In May we unveiled new service operating on Route 9 between Saratoga Springs and the shopping
centers and park & ride lots surrounding Exit 9 of I-87. This is a pilot service being funding by a
grant from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program to determine if transit service is
viable in the corridor.

A major hindrance to both the route’s design and sustained performance is the lack of pedestrian
infrastructure and dense nodes of development along Route 9 itself. Outside Saratoga Springs the
roadway has high traffic volumes, high speeds, and is five lanes wide. This severely limits the
placement of bus stops as there are few safe locations to stop the bus with safe pedestrian access.
In turn this has forced CDTA to deviate off of Route 9 (which increases overall travel time) or to
bypass potential ridership generators.

A substantial marketing effort is underway to generate as much ridership as possible before the
pilot funding ends in May 2011. At this time CDTA will review the agency’s budget and the
productivity of the route based on the 15 riders/hour threshold and determine if the route will
continue.

BusPlus - NY Route 5 Bus Rapid Transit

Municipalities: Albany, Colonie, Niskayuna, Schenectady
Routes #1, #2, #55, #55x

Most of the routes serving the New York Route 5 corridor are productive and experience overcrowding
and reliability issues during most times of the day. Time of day ridership analysis shows a plateau
between the peaks of consistent and heavy demand. With over 3.5 million riders on the corridor, an
upgrade in service is warranted.

In April 2011, bus rapid transit service, branded “BusPlus” will debut between the downtowns of Albany
and Schenectady at 18 new stations which are being installed currently. BRT will be limited-stop, and
have faster service due to transit-priority infrastructure and improved amenities for customers.

Local service that makes more stops will be restructured to match the demand on the ends of the
corridor. The current #1 will continue to service local stops between downtown Albany and Colonie
Center. The #55 will be short-turned and service local stops between Colonie Center and downtown
Schenectady.

Express routes will also be modified to park & ride based commuter service. These routes will no longer
duplicate existing services on Route 5 but travel directly from park & ride lots in Schenectady County to
downtown Albany.

Page 20 of 21
Regional Park & Ride / Express Bus / Ridesharing Study
CDTA is currently undergoing a long-range planning study on park & rides in the region and the
services that use them such as express buses, vanpools, and carpools. The study will document
existing conditions and usage at current park & rides, recommend areas for expansion, and develop
a comprehensive service plan for expansion of express bus services in the region. This service plan
will recommend viable corridors for new or increased express services based upon land-use and
traffic patterns. It will also establish a brand identity for each type of express (BRT, commuter-
coach / park & ride, and feeder-express) as well as a fare policy based on service type and distance
traveled.

This study consists of representatives from the CDTA, NYS Department of Transportation –
Region 1 and Main Office, NYS Thruway Authority, and the Capital District Transportation
Committee. The study will be completed by September 2011, but certain recommendations may be
implemented prior.

Public Outreach
During service changes and restructuring, customer, public and employee input on recommendations
contained in this Route Performance Report and Service Plan will actively be sought. Outreach methods
include the following, which CDTA makes its best effort to conduct 1 month or greater prior to a route
change, depending on the amount of service impacted:

• Publication on web site;

• Bus advertisements;
• Employee forums and newsletters;
• Targeted surveys to riders of affected services;
• Letters to affected municipal officials;
• Notices to self-identified CDTA riders (those who provide contact information);
• Quarterly county-level meetings; and
• Ongoing customer comment program service suggestions.

Page 21 of 21