October 17, 2014
Downtown customers are in for a ‘Fare Holiday’ treat
When the RTS Transit Center opens in downtown Rochester on Nov. 28, customers who catch a bus or transfer there will board for free until Dec. 31, 2014—over four weeks in all.
RTS CEO Bill Carpenter says, “We want the community to see what we are so excited about. Free fares will provide an incentive for a visitor to drop by and give us a try—at the same time giving current customers a financial break to adjust to the changes we are making. We are proud that the opening of the Transit Center will usher in many positive changes for community: The redesign of our routes will allow us to get the right level of service to the streets, and Transit Center customers will be able to arrive, wait and depart in a safe, warm, comfortable and attractive indoor facility.”
Savings for current customers that take advantage of the free offer will depend on number of trips traveled per week and whether single or multiple-use passes are used.
Beginning on Jan, 1, 2015, regular pricing resumes at $1 per single-use trip, with customers in need of a transfer paying $1 per ride or purchasing an all-day unlimited ride pass for $3. A consequence of the changes to RTS routes is that all customers who must continue their trip beyond the Transit Center will be required to transfer to their next bus. While the great majority of customers already transfer to reach their destination, it is estimated that after the opening of the Transit Center an additional seven percent of 20,000 daily customers will need to transfer. The fare holiday will be especially helpful for these customers.
Carpenter continued, “At $1 per ride we are still the best deal around—RTS customers continue to pay the lowest fare in New York State. But we continuously ask ourselves, how can we make the transit experience better? We felt this fare holiday would give customers one more way to ‘enjoy the ride’.”
RTS outlined its plans to streamline and simplify current routes at eight Public Information Meetings and a Public Hearing that were held in April and May 2014. The community was invited to provide feedback for proposed service changes and route patterns that would go into effect when the Transit Center opens on Nov. 28. Other changes RTS will make when the Transit Center opens include extending morning and evening weekday service to accommodate workers’ schedules.
About the RTS Transit Center
Located in the heart of downtown Rochester, the enclosed, one-story RTS Transit Center spans the block between North Clinton Avenue and St. Paul Street. The LEED-certifiable structure will provide modern amenities in a secure, climate-controlled environment that is fully ADA-accessible. Customers will transfer and wait for buses indoors—replacing the outdoor lineups that now occur along Main Street, St. Paul Street and North Clinton Avenue, and on Broad Street. The 87,000 square foot building will feature all the amenities of a modern transportation hub: electronic displays of bus departure times, ticket vending machines, public rest rooms, and an information center staffed to assist bus customers as well as visitors to Rochester. With 30 bus bays, it will accommodate as many as 100 buses per hour during peak times for service throughout Monroe County. Groundbreaking for the RTS Transit Center took place on Nov. 20, 2012. The $50 million building is being funded by Federal Transit Administration funds (80%), New York State Department of Transportation funds (10%), and RGRTA (10%).
About RTS
Rochester Transit Service (RTS) provides public bus transportation and paratransit service in Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. Recognized as one of the best-run transit systems in the nation, our 900+ employees proudly enjoy serving our customers who count on us for nearly 18.5 million rides each year. A public benefit entity and one of four regional transportation authorities in New York State, RTS is governed by 14 appointed commissioners who represent the City of Rochester, County of Monroe, and the surrounding counties in which RTS provides services.
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