CDTA on Pace to Meet Or Exceed Last Year’s Record Total

The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) announced ridership continues to increase despite decreasing gas prices at the monthly Board of Directors meeting. System ridership for the final month of 2015 totaled 1.425 million boardings, which is 1% higher than the previous December.

“We knew it would be challenging to top last year’s all-time record ridership level but I’m pleased to say that we are on pace to be at or above last year’s 17 million ridership mark,” said David M. Stackrow CDTA board chairman. “This illustrates the popularity of our services and the capacity of our system.”

December 2015 ridership pushed CDTA’s fiscal year-to-date total to nearly 13 million boardings. With just three months left in the current fiscal year, CDTA expects ridership to surpass last year’s record of 17 million boardings. This would mark the sixth consecutive year where ridership exceeded the prior year.

Stackrow said, “These numbers are encouraging, given the drop in fuel prices and the relatively dry winter we have seen so far. This combination of factors and a route network that delivers streamlined and convenient service has helped to keep our ridership strong.”

The latest round of service changes took effect on Sunday, Jan. 24 and included a series of service enhancements on some of our largest routes in Schenectady. The changes increase capacity and make service more convenient for customers across CDTA’s four county service area.