Bus route changes coming!

Attention Cortland Transit riders! Starting Sept. 15, Routes 2, 3 and 4 will be revised and Routes 1-4 will run on a 45-minute cycle.

Please see the attached maps for reference on the revisions.

The new Route 2 will go bast a stretch of 281 not currently served by First Transit, in the hopes of picking up more passengers.

The new Route 3 will go past the FHN administrative building, which is currently treated as a route deviation, carrying a charge. This change will eliminate that added charge.

The new Route 4 will serve the Big Lots shopping plaza, a frequently requested stop.

According to First Transit General Manager Ryan Oakley, the new routes are intended to better serve the public.

He said the routes will now run to places that weren't previously served, like the 281 corridor where many car dealerships are located and past the rear entrance to SUNY Cortland.

Routes 2 and 4 will also now serve the Big Lots shopping plaza, which was previously treated as a deviation and frequently requested, according to Oakley. And Route 3 will now regularly go to the Family Health Network administrative office, instead of treating it as a route deviation which carries a charge, as has been the practice.

The county's Agriculture, Planning and Environment Committee on July 11 approved the proposed changes and the Transportation Advisory Committee also gave the go-ahead to the revisions at its first meeting of the year, on July 29.

The revisions have been posted around the city, in areas where people live and shop, to prepare the traveling public for the changes.

By running on a 45-minute cycle instead of the 30-minute route the buses currently use, said Oakley, the hope is the buses will be on time and that will eliminate complaints from riders about late buses.

The new bus run times are still being worked on and will be in the new maps that will be printed ahead of the changes. Since the bus will not be running on the half hour, the exact times will be laid out so that riders know when to expect the bus, whether it will be coming a quarter after the hour or a quarter of, for example.

If riders have any feedback, questions, concerns, please let us know! Contact the mobility manager at 607-756-4198 or Cortland Transit at 607-758-3383.