Capital District Transportation Authority
Encyclopedia
The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) is a public benefit organization that provides transportation in the Capital District
of New York State (Albany
, Schenectady
, Rensselaer
and Saratoga
counties). CDTA runs buses and operates the Albany-Rensselaer
and Saratoga Springs
Amtrak
stations.
In August 1970, a state act of government formed CDTA and three similar agencies in Syracuse
, Rochester
, and Buffalo
. In 1970, CDTA took over 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).
Before CDTA, many of these routes belonged to the Albany-Nassau Bus Company (Routes 32/33) and United Traction. Buses run out of Capital Depot next to CDTA's headquarters on 110 Watervliet Avenue in Albany.
Albany County Route Restructuring
In early 2011 CDTA announced its plans to restructure bus routes in Albany county beginning with the city of Albany. It launched a public input campaign until August 2011. the results are 5 new neighborhood routes and 3 commuter routes. its goal is to have a more uniformed bus system without any route deviations. Every bus route in the city of Albany except routes 1 and 905 will be effected. the new routeing system goes into effect November 13th, 2011
New Neighborhood routes (begins November 13, 2011)
Albany Division also operates half of Route 90 (with Troy Division).
in the late 1960s. Buses operate from the Electric Depot located at 2401 Maxon Road Ext. in Schenectady.
Of the Schenectady routes, the 50 (Route 50) and 355 (Schenectady/Colonie) run on Sundays. Effective April 3, 2011 two additional Schenectady routes 354 Rotterdam Square Mall/Nott Street and 353 Scotia/Mont Pleasant began providing Sunday service. 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 3-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.
In addition, Saratoga Springs is also served from Schenectady's Route 50 service.
On May 24, 2010, CDTA began testing a new route, numbered route 409, to serve NY 9 between Downtown Saratoga Springs and the town of Clifton Park. It is a pilot program that is federally funded. CDTA will operate the route for one year and will analyze the need for it, with a minimum ridership of 15 passengers per hour. CDTA announced that bus 409 will be discontinued on September 2, 2011 due to the failure to maintain the above ridership quota.
Troy Division also operates parts of Routes 22, 224, and 29 with Albany Division and Route 70 with Schenectady Division as well as Route 620
CDTA operates three suburban shuttles that use smaller "cutaway" vehicles and serve offices and major points of interest not on main CDTA routes.
{|
|valign=top|
|}
to Saratoga Performing Arts Center
. While not marked as such on the vehicles, this service appears as Route 875 on the Saratoga Service map.
In 1982, CDTA began providing paratransit services to riders who are medically unable to take regular transit services. Wheelchair-accessible buses were added in 1988; since 2004, all CDTA routes have been handicapped-accessible. Star's fleet has had a variety of minibuses, for most of its history has been dominated by the Orion II low-floor minibus though with that model out-of-production STAR has replaced older models with Startrans "Senator" cutaway vehicles. Others in the fleet include Ford "ELF" minibuses and several transfers from suburban shuttle routes (see below).
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
, and Clifton Park Mechanicville
, and South Glens Falls
to downtown Albany with a single roundtrip each day serving both the Wolf Road corridor and the Harriman State Office Campus and nearby buildings.
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!Year
!Builder
!Model
!Length
(feet)
!Width
(inches)
!Seating
!Numbers
!Operators
|-
|1996
|Motor Coach Industries
|102DW3SS
|40
|102
|Suburban
|313-315
|Upstate Transit
|-
|1996–1997
|Orion Bus Industries
|Orion VI 06.501
|40
|102
|Transit
|2000–2020
|CDTA Albany
|-
|1998
|Orion Bus Industries
|Orion VI 06.501
|40
|102
|Transit
|2021–2102
|CDTA Schenectady, Troy
|-
|1999
|Nova Bus
|LFS TL40-102
|40
|102
|Transit
|9901-9949
|CDTA Albany
|-
|1999
|Nova Bus
|LFS TL40-102
|40
|102
|Suburban
|9950-9959
|CDTA Albany
|-
|1999
|North American Bus Industries
|35LFW
|35
|102
|Transit
|9960-9984
|CDTA Albany
|-
|2000–2003
|Coach & Equipment
|Condor & Phoenix
|25
|96
|Transit
|various numbers in 100 series
|CDTA Albany, Troy
|-
|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 Albany
|-
|2001
|Molly Trolley
|N/A
|30
|96
|Transit
|various, high 800s
|CDTA Troy
|-
|2002
|Motor Coach Industries
|D4000
|40
|102
|Suburban
|316-319
|Upstate Transit
|-
|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
|Upstate Transit
|-
|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 Albany, 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 Hybrid
|40
|102
|Transit
|4014H-4035H
|CDTA Albany
|-
|2008
|Gillig
|Low Floor T-40 Hybrid
|40
|102
|Transit
|325H
|CDTA Albany
|-
|}
Buses numbered up to at least 4072H are on the property and in service.
Increases to the new fares were:
on the busy Route 5 corridor, supplementing the route 55 bus (which handles 20% of CDTA's ridership). This plan also has led to modifications on routes 1 and 2. Articulated buses were planned for this and other busy routes. 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.
In early 2008, the CDTA announced that it was going forward with the bus rapid transit line on Route 5, which will include 18 upgraded stations. Bus Plus service along NY Route 5 began Monday, April 4, 2011 with new silver and red BusPlus-branded Gillig 40-foot hybrid buses, and designated as route 905. Instead of supplementing route 55, this altered the route's Schenectady-side portion of route 55 into route 355, operating from Downtown Schenectady to the Colonie Center BusPlus Station. Route 1 still operates from Downtown Albany to Colonie Center BusPlus station with increased service hours. Alternatively, route 2 remained unchanged. 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 in 2011 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, the 905 line resembles an enhanced limited-stop service. Improvements and expansions to BusPlus are still in planning, with proposed lines along Washington and Western Avenues in Albany.
Capital District
New York's Capital District, also known as the Capital Region, is a region in upstate New York that generally refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of the state: Albany County, Schenectady County, Rensselaer County, and Saratoga County...
of New York State (Albany
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
, Schenectady
Schenectady County, New York
Schenectady County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 154,727. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk Indian word meaning "on the other side of the...
, Rensselaer
Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
and Saratoga
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
counties). CDTA runs buses and operates the Albany-Rensselaer
Albany-Rensselaer (Amtrak station)
The Albany – Rensselaer Rail Station is a long-distance rail terminal in Rensselaer, New York, located 1.5 miles from downtown Albany across the Hudson River. , the station was Amtrak's tenth-busiest station and by 2010 it had become the ninth-busiest...
and Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs (Amtrak station)
The Saratoga Springs Amtrak station is a train station owned by the Capital District Transportation Authority and operated by Amtrak in Saratoga Springs, New York...
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
stations.
In August 1970, a state act of government formed CDTA and three similar agencies in Syracuse
Central New York Regional Transportation Authority
The Central New York Regional Transportation Authority, known as Centro, is the operator of mass transit in Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, and Oneida counties in New York state. The CNYRTA was formed on August 1, 1970, along with similar agencies in Rochester, Albany, and Buffalo...
, Rochester
Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority
The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority is a public benefit organization which provides transportation services in the area in and around Rochester, New York. RGRTA was formed on August 1, 1970 by a state act of government which also formed three similar agencies in Syracuse,...
, and Buffalo
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is a public authority responsible for the public transportation oversight of Erie and Niagara counties in the State of New York...
. In 1970, CDTA took over the United Traction Company, and Schenectady Transit.
CDTA bus operators, dispatchers, and supervisory staff are organized in Local 1321 of the Amalgamated Transit Union
Amalgamated Transit Union
The Amalgamated Transit Union is a labor union in the United States and The Amalgamated Transit Union Canadian Council in Canada, representing workers in the transit system and other industries...
(ATU).
Fixed route services
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
Albany County Route Restructuring
In early 2011 CDTA announced its plans to restructure bus routes in Albany county beginning with the city of Albany. It launched a public input campaign until August 2011. the results are 5 new neighborhood routes and 3 commuter routes. its goal is to have a more uniformed bus system without any route deviations. Every bus route in the city of Albany except routes 1 and 905 will be effected. the new routeing system goes into effect November 13th, 2011
New Neighborhood routes (begins November 13, 2011)
- 100 Mid-City Belt (replaces parts of route 3,8,9)
- 114 Madison/Washington Aves (replaces parts of route 3 and 4)
- 116 Albany/Menands (replaces parts of route 6 and 8)
- 125 Clinton Ave/Sand Creek Rd (replaces parts of route 2 and 3)
- 138 Allen St/ Livingston Ave (replaces part of route 2,8, and 30)
- 1 Central Avenue
- 2 West Albany(discontinued as of November 13, 2011)
- 3 Quail Street Belt(discontinued as of November 13, 2011)
- 4 Pine Hills(discontinued as of November 13, 2011)
- 6 Second Avenue (restructured route and scheduling as of November 13,) 2011
- 7 Glenmont(restructured route and scheduling as of November 13,) 2011
- 8 Arbor Hill(discontinued as of November 13, 2011)
- 9 Whitehall Road(discontinued as of November 13, 2011)
- 10 Western Avenue (schedule change as of November 13, 2011)
- 11 UAlbany
University at Albany, The State University of New YorkThe State University of New York at Albany, also known as University at Albany, State University of New York, SUNY Albany or simply UAlbany, is a public university located in Albany, Guilderland, and East Greenbush, New York, United States; is the senior campus of the State University of New York ...
Shuttle (schedule change as of November 13, 2011)- 12 Washington Avenue(restructured route and scheduling as of November 13,) 2011
- 13 New Scotland Avenue (schedule change as of November 13, 2011)
- 18 Delaware Avenue(restructured route and scheduling as of November 13,) 2011
- 19 Voorheesville
- 21X Altamont
- 22 Albany-Troy via Watervliet
- 27 Corporate Woods
- 29 Albany-Cohoes
- 30 Belt Blvd via Hackett(discontinued as of November 13, 2011)
- 31 Shaker Road(discontinued as of November 13, 2011)
- 35X Albany-Troy via I-787
- 214 Rensselaer/Third Street - Amtrak
- 224 Albany-Troy-Rensselaer
- 232 Hampton Manor
- 233 Albany-Schodack
- 520 Nassau Express
Albany Division also operates half of Route 90 (with Troy Division).
Schenectady Division
Before CDTA, many of these routes were run by Schenectady Transit, which became insolvent and was taken over by Schenectady CountySchenectady County, New York
Schenectady County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 154,727. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk Indian word meaning "on the other side of the...
in the late 1960s. Buses operate from the Electric Depot located at 2401 Maxon Road Ext. in Schenectady.
Of the Schenectady routes, the 50 (Route 50) and 355 (Schenectady/Colonie) run on Sundays. Effective April 3, 2011 two additional Schenectady routes 354 Rotterdam Square Mall/Nott Street and 353 Scotia/Mont Pleasant began providing Sunday service. 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 3-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 | Terminals | Major streets | History | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Ave. & State St. | Hudson Ave. & Broadway | Madison Ave., Washington Ave., Rt. 20 | limited service, weekdays only. | ||
| Washington Ave. & State St. | River St. & Front St. | NY 2 | |||
| Golub Corp. | Lancaster & Gerling | Broadway, Van Vranken Ave | |||
| Price Chopper | Lancaster & Gerling | McClellan St., Altamont Ave. | limited service, no Sunday service | ||
| Walmart Glenville | Price Chopper Plaza - Altamont Ave | Mohawk Ave | |||
| Rotterdam Square Mall | St. James Plaza | I-890 | |||
| Washington Ave & State St. | Route 5 & Colonie Center | NY 5 | |||
| Rotterdam Square Mall Express | Hudson Ave & Broadway | I-90, I-890 | weekday express service only | ||
| St. Luke’s Park & Ride Express | Hudson Ave & Broadway | I-787, I-90, I-890 | weekday express service only | ||
| Woodlawn Park & Ride Express | Hudson Ave & Broadway | I-90 | weekday express service only |
Saratoga Service
The City of Saratoga Springs service also operates out of Schenectady Division. These routes run seven days a week.| Route | Terminals | Major streets | History | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saratoga Springs train station Saratoga Springs (Amtrak station) The Saratoga Springs Amtrak station is a train station owned by the Capital District Transportation Authority and operated by Amtrak in Saratoga Springs, New York... |
Wilton Mall Wilton Mall Wilton Mall at Saratoga is a very large regional shopping center located just off Interstate 87 Exit 15, just north of Saratoga Springs, New York. The mall has a gross leasable area of . The mall is anchored by Bon-Ton, Dick's Sporting Goods, JCPenney, and Sears; in addition, it features a food... |
Lake Avenue | |||
| Saratoga Casino and Raceway | Skidmore College Skidmore College Skidmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. The college is located in the town of Saratoga Springs, New York State.... |
Jefferson Street | |||
| Skidmore's Case Center | Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga Performing Arts Center The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is an amphitheater in Saratoga Springs, New York, which presents summer festivals of all kinds of music , dance, and opera, as well as a Wine & Food Festival... |
Rt. 9 | Seasonal (replaces parts of the former 471 Lake Ave. seasonal route) | ||
| Albany – Rensselaer Train Station | Saratoga Train Station | Weekdays only does not run on major or state holidays |
In addition, Saratoga Springs is also served from Schenectady's Route 50 service.
On May 24, 2010, CDTA began testing a new route, numbered route 409, to serve NY 9 between Downtown Saratoga Springs and the town of Clifton Park. It is a pilot program that is federally funded. CDTA will operate the route for one year and will analyze the need for it, with a minimum ridership of 15 passengers per hour. CDTA announced that bus 409 will be discontinued on September 2, 2011 due to the failure to maintain the above ridership quota.
Troy Division
Before CDTA, most of these routes were operated by the Troy-Fifth Avenue Bus Company. Buses run out of the Uncle Sam Depot at 40 Hoosick Street in Troy which also used to run routes 471 and 472 (originally routes 98 and 99).| Route | Terminals | Major streets | History | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River St. & Front St. | Northern Dr. & 8th St. | 5th Ave. | |||
| River St. & Front St. | Mohawk St. & School St. | NY 32 | no service on Sunday | ||
| Broad St. & 6th St. | Van Rensselaer Manor | Rt. 4 | |||
| River St. & Front St. | Price Chopper & Walmart | Hoosick St. and 15th St. | |||
| Crossgates Mall Crossgates Mall Crossgates Mall is a shopping mall located in Albany, New York, United States, not far from Schenectady. The mall opened on March 4, 1984, and in October 1994 underwent a large expansion that nearly doubled its size. It now has a gross leasable area of with two floors including 250 shops and... |
Sunset Terrace & Forsyth Dr. | I-87, NY 2, and Wolf Rd. | no service on Sunday | ||
| River St. & Front St. | Vanderhyden Hall | Pawling Ave. | |||
| Sunset Terrace & Forsyth Dr. | Pawling Ave. & Myrtle Ave. | Pawling Ave., 15th St., Congress St. | Runs while RPI is in session | ||
| Madison Ave & Project St | 15th St & Massachusetts Ave | Pawling Ave., 4th St., 15th St. | no service on Sunday | ||
| River St. & Front St. | North Main Street | NY 32 and I-787 | Weekday service only. Continues on as 35X |
Troy Division also operates parts of Routes 22, 224, and 29 with Albany Division and Route 70 with Schenectady Division as well as Route 620
Shuttles
{|CDTA operates three suburban shuttles that use smaller "cutaway" vehicles and serve offices and major points of interest not on main CDTA routes.
{|
|valign=top|
- 620 (formerlyShuttleBee) Route 4 from East Greenbush to Hudson Valley Community CollegeHudson Valley Community CollegeHudson Valley Community College, a SUNY associated two-year college, is located in Troy in Rensselaer County, New York. Although about eighty percent of the students are from the local area, the remainder are from other parts of New York, other states and from some 30 countries around the...
--operated by CDTA Troy Division - 611 and 612 (formerlyShuttleBug) Washington Ave. ExtensionNew York State Route 910DNew York State Route 910D is an unsigned reference route designation for Washington Avenue Extension, a divided highway extension of Washington Avenue in Albany, New York, United States. The state-maintained portion of the highway begins at an intersection with NY 155 and ends at...
/Route 155 to Route 5 and Route 20—operated by CDTA Albany Division (split into two routes) - 610 (formerlyShuttleFly) Wolf Road to Albany International AirportAlbany International AirportAlbany International Airport is a public use airport located six nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Albany, in Albany County, New York, United States. It is owned by the Albany County Airport Authority....
and Route 7—operated by CDTA Albany Division
|}
Saratoga "Trolley"
In cooperation with the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, CDTA operates open-air trolleys from June to September along Broadway from Skidmore CollegeSkidmore College
Skidmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. The college is located in the town of Saratoga Springs, New York State....
to Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is an amphitheater in Saratoga Springs, New York, which presents summer festivals of all kinds of music , dance, and opera, as well as a Wine & Food Festival...
. 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. Wheelchair-accessible buses were added in 1988; since 2004, all CDTA routes have been handicapped-accessible. Star's fleet has had a variety of minibuses, for most of its history has been dominated by the Orion II low-floor minibus though with that model out-of-production STAR has replaced older models with Startrans "Senator" cutaway vehicles. Others in the fleet include Ford "ELF" minibuses and several transfers from suburban shuttle routes (see below).
NX: Northway Xpress
Ballston Spa, New York
Ballston Spa is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,556 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Saratoga County. The village is named after Rev. Eliphalet Ball, a Congregationalist clergyman and an early settler. The village lies on the border of two...
, and Clifton Park Mechanicville
Mechanicville, New York
Mechanicville is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population is 5,196 as of the 2010 census. It is the smallest city by area in the state. The name is derived from the occupations of early residents....
, and South Glens Falls
South Glens Falls, New York
South Glens Falls is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 3,368 at the 2000 census. The village is in the northern part of the Town of Moreau, south of the City of Glens Falls....
to downtown Albany with a single roundtrip each day serving both the Wolf Road corridor and the Harriman State Office Campus and nearby buildings.
Active Fleet
All buses are wheelchair accessible.{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!Year
!Builder
!Model
!Length
(feet)
!Width
(inches)
!Seating
!Numbers
!Operators
|-
|1996
|Motor Coach Industries
|102DW3SS
|40
|102
|Suburban
|313-315
|Upstate Transit
|-
|1996–1997
|Orion Bus Industries
Orion Bus Industries
Orion International, previously Orion Bus Industries and Ontario Bus Industries in Canada and Bus Industries of America in the United States, is a bus manufacturer based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and established by the Government of Ontario in 1975...
|Orion VI 06.501
|40
|102
|Transit
|2000–2020
|CDTA Albany
|-
|1998
|Orion Bus Industries
|Orion VI 06.501
|40
|102
|Transit
|2021–2102
|CDTA Schenectady, Troy
|-
|1999
|Nova Bus
Nova Bus
Nova Bus is a Canadian bus manufacturer in North America, owned by Volvo Buses, and headquartered in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada.- History :The factory was originally a General Motors plant for building city transit buses intended for the Canadian market...
|LFS TL40-102
|40
|102
|Transit
|9901-9949
|CDTA Albany
|-
|1999
|Nova Bus
|LFS TL40-102
|40
|102
|Suburban
|9950-9959
|CDTA Albany
|-
|1999
|North American Bus Industries
North American Bus Industries
North American Bus Industries, commonly known as NABI, is a major transit bus manufacturing company based in Anniston, Alabama. NABI was founded in 1992 when the Hungarian firm Ikarus Bus, a key bus supplier to Central, Eastern Europe, spun off a majority share of their American operations to...
|35LFW
|35
|102
|Transit
|9960-9984
|CDTA Albany
|-
|2000–2003
|Coach & Equipment
|Condor & Phoenix
|25
|96
|Transit
|various numbers in 100 series
|CDTA Albany, Troy
|-
|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 Albany
|-
|2001
|Molly Trolley
|N/A
|30
|96
|Transit
|various, high 800s
|CDTA Troy
|-
|2002
|Motor Coach Industries
|D4000
|40
|102
|Suburban
|316-319
|Upstate Transit
|-
|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
ElDorado National
ElDorado National is a bus manufacturer owned by Thor Industries. Heavy-duty buses are built in Riverside, California, and cutaway buses and mobility vans are built in Salina, Kansas.-Products:* Aerotech and similar lines of cutaway buses...
|AeroElite
|25
|96
|Transit
|403-408
|CDTA Albany, Schenectady
|-
|2006
|Motor Coach Industries
|D4500CL
|45
|102
|Suburban
|320-324
|Upstate Transit
|-
|2007
|Gillig
Gillig
Gillig Corporation, formerly Gillig Bros., is a manufacturer of heavy-duty low-floor transit buses located in Hayward, California. Prior to 1993, Gillig had also been a manufacturer of school buses.-History:...
|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 Albany, 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 Hybrid
|40
|102
|Transit
|4014H-4035H
|CDTA Albany
|-
|2008
|Gillig
|Low Floor T-40 Hybrid
|40
|102
|Transit
|325H
|CDTA Albany
|-
|}
Future fleet
The Gillig buses are part of a five-year contract between CDTA and Gillig awarded in April 2006, and will replace most of the 1996 Orion VI fleet.Buses numbered up to at least 4072H are on the property and in service.
Fares
The CDTA increased fares on April 1, 2009, to close a $9 million budget gap.Increases to the new fares were:
- Base fare: $1.50
- BusPlus Fare: $2.00
- Day pass: $4.00
- 10 Trip pass: $13.00
- Senior citizen fare: $0.75
- Monthly 5-day "Swiper": $55.00
- Monthly 7-day "Swiper": $65.00
- 31 Day weekday "Swiper: $60.00
- 31 Day rolling "Swiper": $65:00
- STAR Service: $2.50
Transit Development Plan
In 2005, CDTA commissioned a transit development plan. Parts of this plan include:- Replacing 1/12 of the CDTA fleet yearly instead of placing fewer and larger orders. Begun in 2007, this seeks to reduce the costs of maintaining an aging fleet.
- Replacing Orion VI buses by 2012 and the NABI and NovaBus LFS buses by 2014.
- Giving a midlife overhaul to the NovaBus and NABI fleets. Among the improvements: installing LED destination signs.
- Expanding service in Saratoga Springs, which took place in July 2007, plus further expansion into Saratoga County including the building of a garage in Saratoga Springs.
- Redrawing bus routes to better serve riders, starting with Schenectady-based routes in the second half of 2007.
- Implementing a three-digit route system, in which the first digit will serve as an indication of its base; this system is already in place in Saratoga Springs.
BusPlus
The 2005 plan included the development of bus rapid transitBus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
on the busy Route 5 corridor, supplementing the route 55 bus (which handles 20% of CDTA's ridership). This plan also has led to modifications on routes 1 and 2. Articulated buses were planned for this and other busy routes. 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.
In early 2008, the CDTA announced that it was going forward with the bus rapid transit line on Route 5, which will include 18 upgraded stations. Bus Plus service along NY Route 5 began Monday, April 4, 2011 with new silver and red BusPlus-branded Gillig 40-foot hybrid buses, and designated as route 905. Instead of supplementing route 55, this altered the route's Schenectady-side portion of route 55 into route 355, operating from Downtown Schenectady to the Colonie Center BusPlus Station. Route 1 still operates from Downtown Albany to Colonie Center BusPlus station with increased service hours. Alternatively, route 2 remained unchanged. 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
Queue jump
A queue jump is a type of roadway geometry typically found in bus rapid transit systems. It consists of an additional travel lane on the approach to a signalised intersection. This lane is often restricted to transit vehicles only, though some variations may permit bicyclists, mopeds, and/or...
lanes are being constructed and will be rolled out in 2011 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, the 905 line resembles an enhanced limited-stop service. Improvements and expansions to BusPlus are still in planning, with proposed lines along Washington and Western Avenues in Albany.