Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle del Hudson
Public Transportation in the Hudson Valley
November 2024In the Hudson Valley, getting from point A to point B isn't always easy. For the 14 percent of the area's population who don't own a car, it's even harder. Public transportation has improved over the years, and county transportation directors are looking to introduce more changes.
Currently, there are bus and rail options in the Hudson Valley for passengers to get between areas. The Adirondack Line, Pine Hill Line, and New York Trailways offer bus service from New York City, New Paltz, New Rochelle, Albany, and Kingston.
Shortline/Coach USA buses are also an option, offering daily direct service to New York City and local service to Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess counties. The same is true for Amtrak service to counties such as Dutchess, Westchester, and Columbia, as well as MetroNorth service.
Locally, each county offers its own public transportation systems. In Dutchess County, there are four modes of transportation available: fixed route services with 13 routes, dial-a-ride contracted service that provides door-to-door service and requires reservations for select municipalities, flex service, and ADA service that provides door-to-door rides for people with medical needs, operating on a reservation system. The one-way fare is $1.75, with reduced fares for children, students, seniors, and veterans. Students at SUNY Dutchess, Vassar College, and Poughkeepsie Middle and High School ride free.
Riders can use UCAT route schedules provided online, the UCAT Live Map to check the status of their bus, as well as the UCAT app in the Apple App Store or Android Play Store.
UCAT advises riders, however, that they should be aware that schedules and other information on the schedules provided by UCAT are subject to change, largely due to weather or traffic conditions.
Riders are encouraged to consult the Transit Orange Trip Planner as well as the System Map available online. Fares range from $1.50 for one-way trips to $5.00 for intercity transportation. Reduced fares are available for seniors.
The other option is through MOVE Sullivan, which offers four fixed routes. It is recommended that you check the MOVE Sullivan website for printed schedules for Routes A, B, C, and D, as well as the county's interactive public transit map.
While there are several bus and rail lines, some passengers cannot comfortably work around their schedules and report that gaps between bus and rail schedules leave them stranded for hours.
SUNY New Paltz student and frequent UCAT user Meagan Rosado says she typically rides the UCAT UPL to the Poughkeepsie train station from the New Paltz campus. “A lot of times I’ve been waiting for that bus and it’s 20 or 25 minutes late or it doesn’t come at all,” Rosado says. She notes that the UCAT app isn’t always accurate. “A lot of times I’ve had to take an Uber or Lyft,” Rosado says. “Instead of taking this bus that they tell us is free and accessible, I spend double the cost because I have to pay $50 for an Uber.”
Jadyn Acosta, also a SUNY New Paltz student and frequent UCAT user, shares a similar story. Because she had to wait an extra fifteen minutes to catch the scheduled UCAT bus from New Paltz to Poughkeepsie, Acosta missed her MetroNorth train to New York City, so she had to wait at the Poughkeepsie train station an extra hour to catch the next train.
“I have to constantly call to ask if the buses are running,” Acosta says. “One time, the UCAT loop in New Paltz completely skipped the central stop at the SUNY New Paltz campus, and I had to call them to get the bus to turn around.”
Japheth Wood, a Kingston resident and professor at Bard College in Red Hook, says that “I drive across the Hudson River almost every day to Bard College.” While he says he would love to take a bus, there is no direct service across the bridge. And while Wood would rely on UCAT, its service is “infrequent” and it’s difficult for him to figure out bus routes.
Brian Slack, senior transportation planner for the Ulster County Transportation Board, explains that while the transportation board is not responsible for day-to-day operations at UCAT, the board works “in cooperation with county departments and municipalities” and has been planning to develop recommendations for UCAT. Slack is the project manager for the “Route Optimization Plan” and says they are approaching “a critical juncture” in the project.
Ultimately, Toni Roser, UCAT’s transportation director, as well as the department’s team will approve the recommendations made by the Ulster County Transportation Board. UCAT Director Toni Roser has not reached out to La Voz for information on this plan or any other transportation-related issues.
In Dutchess County, Michael Grattini serves as the transit manager. There, Grattini oversees the day-to-day operation of the transit system which “includes 96 county employees and 56 buses.” Grattini explains that his primary responsibility is “ensuring that the county’s transit system operates as efficiently and safely as possible.”
Grattini says that public transportation has “worked diligently over the past year to improve on-time performance and modernize bus shelters.” Since the summer of 2024, 11 new bus shelters have been installed, and beginning in 2025, eight more will be added. Additionally, Grattini says that the Dutchess County Transit System fleet has been upgraded since 2022 and has added ten new transit buses and nine vans.
For more information on Dutchess County transit, riders can check out dutchessny.gov/publictransit. You can also download the new SPOT Bus Tracker app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
In Orange County, Alan Sorensen, Transportation Board Planning Commissioner as well as Director of the county's Transportation Board, says he and his team have been hard at work redesigning the Middletown and Newburgh Area routes, and will soon be implementing these improvements.
Sorensen also mentions that he has begun working to make the Orange County Transit System multimodal, incorporating bicycle and pedestrian options for residents.back to top
COPYRIGHT 2024
La Voz, Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson
Shortline/Coach USA buses are also an option, offering daily direct service to New York City and local service to Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess counties. The same is true for Amtrak service to counties such as Dutchess, Westchester, and Columbia, as well as MetroNorth service.
Dutchess County Public Transportation Options
Locally, each county offers its own public transportation systems. In Dutchess County, there are four modes of transportation available: fixed route services with 13 routes, dial-a-ride contracted service that provides door-to-door service and requires reservations for select municipalities, flex service, and ADA service that provides door-to-door rides for people with medical needs, operating on a reservation system. The one-way fare is $1.75, with reduced fares for children, students, seniors, and veterans. Students at SUNY Dutchess, Vassar College, and Poughkeepsie Middle and High School ride free.Ulster County Public Transportation Options
In Ulster County, riders rely on the Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) system, which operates on 16 fixed routes between areas such as New Paltz, Kingston, and Poughkeepsie. UCAT riders are free, representing a nearly 40% increase in ridership since free fares went into effect in October 2022.Riders can use UCAT route schedules provided online, the UCAT Live Map to check the status of their bus, as well as the UCAT app in the Apple App Store or Android Play Store.
UCAT advises riders, however, that they should be aware that schedules and other information on the schedules provided by UCAT are subject to change, largely due to weather or traffic conditions.
Orange County Public Transportation Options
Orange County residents can utilize the three fixed routes offered by Transit Orange, which provide service within Middletown, Kiryas Joel, and Newburgh. These fixed routes are also available as an ADA paratransit option that operates within the same schedule. Transit Orange also offers municipal Dial-a-Ride operators between the towns of Warwick, Newburgh, Goshen, Chester, Montgomery Crawford, Highlands, Wallkill, Monroe, and the City of Port Jervis.Riders are encouraged to consult the Transit Orange Trip Planner as well as the System Map available online. Fares range from $1.50 for one-way trips to $5.00 for intercity transportation. Reduced fares are available for seniors.
Sullivan County Public Transportation Options
There are two options for riders. One is through the county, which offers shopping buses five days a week, Monday through Friday, in the towns of Bethel, Neversink, Fallsburg, Rockland, Liberty, Mamakating, Tusten, Highland, Thompson, and Delaware. Reservations are required and must be made no later than 12pm the previous business day by calling (845)-807-0244. Passengers 60 years of age or older and registered through the county may ride free. Veterans accessing medical appointments within accessible municipalities also ride free. There are two other round-trip routes based in Highland and Delaware Townships on Thursdays and Fridays respectively. General public passengers pay a $1.50 boarding fee.The other option is through MOVE Sullivan, which offers four fixed routes. It is recommended that you check the MOVE Sullivan website for printed schedules for Routes A, B, C, and D, as well as the county's interactive public transit map.
Passenger Issues with Public Transportation
While there are several bus and rail lines, some passengers cannot comfortably work around their schedules and report that gaps between bus and rail schedules leave them stranded for hours.SUNY New Paltz student and frequent UCAT user Meagan Rosado says she typically rides the UCAT UPL to the Poughkeepsie train station from the New Paltz campus. “A lot of times I’ve been waiting for that bus and it’s 20 or 25 minutes late or it doesn’t come at all,” Rosado says. She notes that the UCAT app isn’t always accurate. “A lot of times I’ve had to take an Uber or Lyft,” Rosado says. “Instead of taking this bus that they tell us is free and accessible, I spend double the cost because I have to pay $50 for an Uber.”
Jadyn Acosta, also a SUNY New Paltz student and frequent UCAT user, shares a similar story. Because she had to wait an extra fifteen minutes to catch the scheduled UCAT bus from New Paltz to Poughkeepsie, Acosta missed her MetroNorth train to New York City, so she had to wait at the Poughkeepsie train station an extra hour to catch the next train.
“I have to constantly call to ask if the buses are running,” Acosta says. “One time, the UCAT loop in New Paltz completely skipped the central stop at the SUNY New Paltz campus, and I had to call them to get the bus to turn around.”
Japheth Wood, a Kingston resident and professor at Bard College in Red Hook, says that “I drive across the Hudson River almost every day to Bard College.” While he says he would love to take a bus, there is no direct service across the bridge. And while Wood would rely on UCAT, its service is “infrequent” and it’s difficult for him to figure out bus routes.
Updates to County Transit Systems
And while personal stories from Hudson Valley transit users may paint a picture of frustrations and challenges, transportation directors and other officials across the area say they are working to further improve their transit systems.Brian Slack, senior transportation planner for the Ulster County Transportation Board, explains that while the transportation board is not responsible for day-to-day operations at UCAT, the board works “in cooperation with county departments and municipalities” and has been planning to develop recommendations for UCAT. Slack is the project manager for the “Route Optimization Plan” and says they are approaching “a critical juncture” in the project.
Ultimately, Toni Roser, UCAT’s transportation director, as well as the department’s team will approve the recommendations made by the Ulster County Transportation Board. UCAT Director Toni Roser has not reached out to La Voz for information on this plan or any other transportation-related issues.
In Dutchess County, Michael Grattini serves as the transit manager. There, Grattini oversees the day-to-day operation of the transit system which “includes 96 county employees and 56 buses.” Grattini explains that his primary responsibility is “ensuring that the county’s transit system operates as efficiently and safely as possible.”
Grattini says that public transportation has “worked diligently over the past year to improve on-time performance and modernize bus shelters.” Since the summer of 2024, 11 new bus shelters have been installed, and beginning in 2025, eight more will be added. Additionally, Grattini says that the Dutchess County Transit System fleet has been upgraded since 2022 and has added ten new transit buses and nine vans.
For more information on Dutchess County transit, riders can check out dutchessny.gov/publictransit. You can also download the new SPOT Bus Tracker app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
In Orange County, Alan Sorensen, Transportation Board Planning Commissioner as well as Director of the county's Transportation Board, says he and his team have been hard at work redesigning the Middletown and Newburgh Area routes, and will soon be implementing these improvements.
Sorensen also mentions that he has begun working to make the Orange County Transit System multimodal, incorporating bicycle and pedestrian options for residents.back to top
COPYRIGHT 2024
La Voz, Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson
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