Poughkeepsie… As part of a continuing effort to improve and enhance the Dutchess County bus system, Dutchess County Public Transit is proposing service and fare payment changes to make the bus system easier to utilize and improve travel time and accessibility in the City of Poughkeepsie. The proposed changes are in response to concerns, comments, suggestions and feedback shared from riders, community stakeholders, and/or participants in community meetings held over the last several months as well as input from TransPro Consulting, a leading authority in the public transportation industry. Dutchess County Public Transit is seeking input from riders and the community in order to be able to implement the proposed service enhancements in the first quarter of 2018. The public input period is open now through Wednesday, January 10th, 2018.
The full listing of the proposed changes are posted on board all county buses and can be found on the Public Transit page of the Dutchess County website. Dutchess County Public Transit Administrator John Andoh welcomes comments on the proposed fare and service changes. Comments can be submitted by phone, email, fax or in person no later than Wednesday, January 10th, 2018.
John Andoh, County Transit Administrator
Dutchess County Public Transit
14 Commerce Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601,
Email: jandoh@dutchessny.gov
Phone: 845.473.8521 Fax: 845.473.8643
There will be a public meeting where comments can be offered on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at Family Partnership Center, 29 North Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie, which is accessible via bus Route CM from mid-Poughkeepsie and bus route CP from the Poughkeepsie Transit Hub.
Additionally, customers can talk with County Transit Administrator John Andoh about the proposed changes at Poughkeepsie Transit Hub on Friday, January 5, 2018 from 11am to 3pm.
The proposed changes include better-timed connections to routes at Poughkeepsie Transit Hub, with Routes H, J, K, L, M and P operating on a consistent headway and improvements to Dial-A-Ride within the City of Poughkeepsie. Some of the specific fare and service changes proposed include:
- The "C" from J, K, L, M and P is proposed to be removed. All routes are proposed to have a single letter.
- The routes is proposed to operate in a “hub and spoke” model from the Poughkeepsie Transit Hub at Main and Market Streets departing at :15 minutes past the hour. All buses will depart at the same time.
- Routes H, J, K, M and P is proposed to have a uniform headway of 60 minutes between buses, except Route L, which is proposed to operate every 30 minutes.
- Route L on Main Street is proposed to operate every 30 minutes and on Sundays.
- A rider within the City of Poughkeepsie can access major destinations by traveling on no more than two buses when traveling through the Hub.
- Routes M and P is proposed to be timed to meet the bell times for the various schools along the routes.
- Route M is proposed to be extended to the Hub, however, no longer serve Dutchess Community College and Fox Hill neighborhood.
- Routes C and H is proposed to be the only routes serving Dutchess Community College with 60 minute service on Route H and various headways on Route C.
- Routes I, CN and CO is proposed to be discontinued due to low ridership.
- Maplewood Apartments, Interfaith Towers, Phillip Allen Schwartz Apartments, Hudson Gardens Apartments, Thurgood Marshall Apartments, MLK Garden Apartments and 134 Cannon Street is proposed to be served by a bus route operating at the minimum of every 60 minutes, Monday through Saturday.
- Routes H and K is proposed to be “interlined” so that customers can travel between Dutchess Community College and The Shoppes at South Hills/Poughkeepsie Galleria every 60 minutes. Route K would stop at ShopRite and Price Chopper front door.
- Route C is proposed to have some trips redirected to travel via Route 9G due to Route J proposed changes.
- RailLink is proposed to be extended to Vassar College.
- An extra dial-a-ride bus is proposed to be added to address capacity concerns on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- Same day reservations is proposed to be allowed for a premium fare of $7.00 or reservations can be made the next day up to 30 days in advance.
- Persons with disabilities would be allowed to ride Dial-A-Ride for $1.00.
- Creation of a new 1-Day Pass for regular and reduced fare customers.
- Vassar College students and employees would be able to ride free by showing an ID card based on a fare contribution by Vassar College.
- Acceptance of Metro-North Uni-Ride Tickets on all Dutchess County Public Transit routes.
- Creation of a new 7-Day and 31-Day Pass for reduced fare customers.
- Saturday schedule is proposed to operate on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Day after
- Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
- Transfers is proposed to be 30 cents and allowed on any Dutchess County Public Transit route except the route it was originated from.
- Routes are proposed to be added to Google, Bing, Apple Maps and MapQuest.
- Start work to implement a bus stop system on Routes H, J, K, L, M and P.
- A new all in one Rider’s Guide will be created with schedules and maps.
For more information about Dutchess County Public Transit, including demand response reservations, call 845.473.8424 or visit www.dutchessny.gov/PublicTransit.
