Ridership at RTS Orleans still only 57% of pre-Covid levels

Photo by Tom Rivers: Miguel Velazquez, CEO of the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, speaks to the Orleans County legislature last week. Velazquez said the organization is making big investments in the RTS Orleans bus service in Orleans County.

ALBION – Ridership remains down significantly for public transportation in Orleans County from the levels just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020.

In the fiscal year from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020, RTS Orleans had 43,532 riders. Three years later, in the 2022-23 fiscal year, ridership was 24,815, which is 57 percent of where it was just before Covid hit.

Miguel Velazquez is CEO of the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, the parent organization of RTS Orleans. The RGRTA oversees the Regional Transit Service for eight counties. Velazquez shared the data with Orleans County legislators last week, and told the group that RGRTA remains committed to Orleans and is making investments in new buses, signs and other technology.

Public transportation providers across the nation are about 65 to 70 percent back to their pre-Covid levels for ridership, Velazquez said.

The RGRTA has 12 employees for RTS Orleans, operating six buses in Orleans County. The daily ridership is about 120. Denise Klos serves as operations manager for RTS Orleans.

There are regular routes Monday to Friday serving Albion and Medina with connections to Genesee and Monroe counites, and some service on Saturday. Dial-A-Ride is available throughout the county. The bus fares are $1, with rides for free for veterans. Since the free rides were made available for veterans in 2020, about 1,000 of those rides have been provided. The ride passes are coordinated through the local Veterans Service Agency.

RTS Orleans buses take people to stores, medical appointments, to work at businesses and for classes at Genesee Community College in Medina. The Dial-A-Ride service takes buses off a set course with advance notice.

“On behalf of the Legislature we can’t tell you how thankful we are to have transportation services for our residents,” said Lynne Johnson, the County legislature chairwoman.

RTS Orleans expenses were at $897,850 in the last fiscal year, with only $434,314 in revenue: with $263,817 from the county’s mortgage recording tax, $85,000 from federal aid, $30,244 from state, $30,103 from county, and $25,140 in fares and contracts. The service operated at $463,536 loss in the past fiscal year.

RTS Orleans officials highlighted recent investments in the Orleans operation. It completed a new transportation facility in 2018 with vehicle storage, office and maintenance space. It is seeking $250,000 from the federal government for an automated washing bay at the facility on West Academy Street next to the Orleans County DPW.

There is an electric vehicle charging station at the transportation facility. That charging station has been used about 600 times, saving more than 1,500 gallons of gas, Velazquez said.

RTS Orleans will be getting four  new vehicles in 2023 – 26-foot-long vehicles with 18 seats that are ADA accessible. The remaining two buses will be replaced in 2024-25.

The service started in Orleans County 20 years ago as OTS – the Orleans Transit Service. RTS Orleans will be replacing 66 OTS bus stop signs with RTS Orleans markers. So far 20 have been replaced in Albion with the rest in Medina and Orleans County to be completed in 2023. They are being installed by the Orleans County Department of Public Works as a contracted service.

RTS Orleans buses also will be getting on-board technology. The procurement of a new computer-aided dispatch system is underway. It will allow for real-time information to customers and ability to expand into different service types, Velazquez said.

Jim Bensley, the county’s commissioner on the RGRTA board, praised Velazquez and the organization for their commitment to Orleans County. He said RTS Orleans strives for on-time performance, which can be challenging when bridges are under construction delaying traffic.