Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

The guy from the CDTA that came to the November Town Board meeting .. claimed that it costs just as much
to run a small bus as a big bus.   I don't believe that for a minute but that is what he said.
  
Also, he said last spring - at another town board meeting - that the increase in ridership overall was raising the cost of CDTA's operations.  I dispute that statement just on the fact that if you were running a bus at say
20% occupancy and another at 70% occupancy  -- the cost is the same but the one with MORE riders should
be taking in MORE revenue.   Unless of course, they are operating in some bizarre parallel universe.

I undertand that a bus with 20% occupancy will bring in less revenue than a bus filled to 70% occupancy, but it also costs more to run a bus at 70% occupancy.  This would be simple to anyone that would just stop and think for a moment.  I don't know how many people a CDTA bus carries, but let's figure 100 to make it a nice number to work with.  If you are running a bus with 20 people on it, you are going to burn much less gas than if you are carrying 70 people.  I understand that  CDTA probably has figured in the number of people that it can carry on an average on a bus and still make a profit, but there has to be some sort of a decline at some point.  

Plus, when people see that there's so many people on a bus, maybe it would be an issue for some that they don't want to ride with so many people.  Remember all the crime that is happening in Schenectady and spilling over to Rotterdam?  They have to be getting from there to here in some manner.  Maybe it's via the bus, maybe they drive, or maybe it's by foot.  Not many other choices.

Just look at this fact.  Where is the additional crime that is occurring as of late in Rotterdam?  Where is it in regards to bus routes?  I'm not saying, but it does match up.  There's areas of town that are no where near a bus route and they are not seeing the increase of crime.  These are also places that are not so close to the city, so that could be an issue also.  I don't know the reason for it, but all I can do is look at how things are happening and decide from there.

Quoted from Kevin March

I undertand that a bus with 20% occupancy will bring in less revenue than a bus filled to 70% occupancy, but it also costs more to run a bus at 70% occupancy.  This would be simple to anyone that would just stop and think for a moment.  I don't know how many people a CDTA bus carries, but let's figure 100 to make it a nice number to work with.  If you are running a bus with 20 people on it, you are going to burn much less gas than if you are carrying 70 people.  I understand that  CDTA probably has figured in the number of people that it can carry on an average on a bus and still make a profit, but there has to be some sort of a decline at some point.  
.

Most of the fuel is spent moving the weight of the bus itself -- if a bus is full of passengers .. the combined
weight of the passengers would add little to the cost moving the bus.
The biggest expense in running a bus is the cost of the salary and benefits for the driver -- and the driver
gets paid the same whether  the bus has a few people on it or the bus is full.
The simple FACT is that MORE people riding a bus should translate into MORE fares being paid -- thus
MORE revenue for CDTA.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Most of the fuel is spent moving the weight of the bus itself -- if a bus is full of passengers .. the combined
weight of the passengers would add little to the cost moving the bus.
The biggest expense in running a bus is the cost of the salary and benefits for the driver -- and the driver
gets paid the same whether  the bus has a few people on it or the bus is full.
The simple FACT is that MORE people riding a bus should translate into MORE fares being paid -- thus
MORE revenue for CDTA.

Should...  That would be just like how the bailouts SHOULD have created jobs this past year, right?  Or how the town board should be able to figure things out and answer questions right away... or how taxes SHOULD go down now that we're represented by majorities of liberals at all levels.

Who really gives a turd what losers ride what bus and how much it weighs. People that ride buses don't make the world go 'round. Haven't you heard, Sh1tshorts?

Quoted from Kevin March

Should...  That would be just like how the bailouts SHOULD have created jobs this past year, right?  Or how the town board should be able to figure things out and answer questions right away... or how taxes SHOULD go down now that we're represented by majorities of liberals at all levels.

I wasn't in favor of most of the so-called bailouts and stimulus packages.
I have no comment on the town board.
and if memory serves me correctly -- the GOP regained control of the House of Representatives and
have more than enough votes to block legislation in the US Senate ... not to mention a majority in
the State Senate  ----  so how is it that we are "represented by majorities at all levels" ???

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Most of the fuel is spent moving the weight of the bus itself -- if a bus is full of passengers .. the combined
weight of the passengers would add little to the cost moving the bus.
The biggest expense in running a bus is the cost of the salary and benefits for the driver -- and the driver
gets paid the same whether  the bus has a few people on it or the bus is full.
The simple FACT is that MORE people riding a bus should translate into MORE fares being paid -- thus
MORE revenue for CDTA.

The drivers need the high salary....if they live in Schenectady because of the high taxes.

But, that said, except for Hamburg St route, I thought I read or heard that ridership is up since the routes were changed (but over all throughout all of CDTA it's down becaue fares went up---did people quit their jobs).

The "problem" with buses in my opinion is that the same "problem" exists with carpools.  People want the freedom to come and go when they want.  People don't want to be in a carpool and then, we'll say they share driving and today is their turn and an emergency happens at home, what happens with the other riders in your car that day?  Or what happens if you are riding today and another is driving and you have an emergency, how do you get home.  Now, with buses it's sort of similar, yet different.  Unless you walk out the door from a job onto Central Ave in Albany and take a bus to your home on State St in Schenectady, you're in a bind.  I've heard of people that it takes sometimes three hours to get home from Albany to Schenectady!  That's with transferring from one bus to another.

There is a park and ride in Schenectady, but it's in St Lukes parking lot, nothing against the church, but let's face it, with shootings and dangers over there, I certainly would not trust my car being parked there all day, but it would be convenient for many

Representatives from CDTA have been present at two (2) Town Board meetings in 2010.   While I may
question some of the statements that they have made, the crux of the problem is -- as I see it  -- the
discrepancy between the town officials, business leaders and resident who say their is a need for the
Hamburg ST Bus Route  and the CDTA who keep showing statistics that suggest that ridership is quite
low on this route.    It can't be both --- there can't be high demand AND low ridership simultaneously.

Then there is the issue of doing something to draw people to Hamburg Street -- thus creating demand or
ridership for the bus route.  Can CDTA afford to wait until something is built or moves in to one of the
existing vacant buildings?    On the other hand, if CDTA drops the bus route that would hamper the chances
for businesses to locate in that area.

Since we can't change the past, the best that we can do is work on a solution that satisfies the needs of
the residents, the business owners, future developers/businesses, the town and CDTA.

yep lets create demand -  more minimum wage jobs

enough spit how about some polish

here is a shared abstraction:

Quoted Text

The quality of a soldier is often measured by how much time, effort and care he/she expends their boots. Here's how to apply that high-gloss spit shine:
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 60 Minutes
Here's How:

   1. Spread a medium-thick layer of paste polish over the portion of the boot to be spit shined.
   2. Allow it to dry for 5 to 10 minutes.
   3. Wrap a soft, clean cloth around your index finger so that it is smooth (no wrinkles). Alternately, you can use a cotton ball. Dip your finger or the cotton ball into a container of water. The cloth/cotton should be wet, but not dripping.
   4. Buff the dried polish (using a circular motion) with the wet cloth/cotton ball, until the wax starts to become shiney.
   5. Still using the damp rag on your finger, apply a fine layer of polish in a circular motion and keep on rubbing lightly until a hazy shine develops.
   6. Using the (now) damp cloth, or cotton ball, keep applying THIN coats of wax, buffing them with a small circular motion.
   7. When the boot is highly glossed, use a clean dry soft cloth or a shining brush to give it a final buff.

Tips:

   1. The reason to use a wet cloth is to stop the fine coats of polish sticking to the cloth and to encourage the polish to stick to the leather.
   2. You want to keep on building up thin layers of wax until you have a completely smooth surface that gives the glossy shine.
   3. After the first heavy coat of polish you must use small amounts of polish to build up the shine. If you use too much polish, it will dissolve the base you have already built up.
   4. T-shirts work well for the cloth material, as do cloth diapers.
   5. Some people prefer to use rubbing alcohol instead of water.

What You Need:

    * Shoe Polish
    * Cloth
    * Water or Alcohol

more lame a$$ development piled on the lame a$$ development that created unorganized sprawl and too low a population density to work

i would love to see effective mass transport but that would require retooling of our local environment (ring roads and "x"'s)

our region can only think one development at a time = no comp plans

it is always what is good for today

it is like all the misfits of urban/rural planning were exported to the tri-cities area

back to the buses -
low ridership = community buy some tickets to keep us around = bailout
and where there appears to be ridership CDTA and our town leaders care little about them

Rotterdam needs to create a Hamburg Street Public Transportation Taxing District.  Everybody wants it.  I hear they are talking about it at the Senior Center.  Lets have a referendum, so Rotterdam can have their own dedicated bus service.  We can have a "Save the RIBS" campaign.

RIBS= Rotterdam Internal Busing Service.

Quoted from TippyCanoe

more lame a$$ development piled on the lame a$$ development that created unorganized sprawl and too low a population density to work
it is always what is good for today
it is like all the misfits of urban/rural planning were exported to the tri-cities area
back to the buses -
low ridership = community buy some tickets to keep us around = bailout
and where there appears to be ridership CDTA and our town leaders care little about them

Right on Tippy! The problem is that these "planners" have no planning expertise. Forget about education. Political hacks. Same thing on Metrograft. Not one real planner on the entire Metrograft bored. A book store owner who's only concern is keeping other book stores out. Where's Death Ray's planning degree from?-lol-

     It's all about who you know and how it can further your other hobbies. Routes need to be eliminated. Run on a paid basis from the farebox not the taxpayers pocket. If there are no jobs no need for mass transportation. No demand for a route that goes to a boarded up Grand Union.

Quoted Text

Don’t deprive Rotterdam residents of bus service

    Re Dec. 23 article, “Too few riders on CDTA Hamburg Street run”: I believe that the Route 358 bus route (Hamburg Street, Rotterdam) is scheduled for cancellation in April. Though I am aware that ridership has not reached the targets set by the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA), there is a loyal group of morning riders for whom this bus is the means to get to work and/or college. We are not riding at 6 or 7 a.m. for pleasure.
    If the continuation of the Route 358 is not justified, perhaps the Route 352, Altamont Avenue, bus route could make a loop and serve Hamburg Street as well as Altamont Avenue. CDTA is, after all, a nonprofi t authority whose sole purpose is to serve the public and is funded by taxpayers.
    An additional few minutes to serve a neighborhood which has had continual bus service for more than 40 years is certainly worth considering. New and longtime residents of the town who truly need the bus will be forced to relocate to be near a route or walk considerable distances, in all types of inclement weather, on roads without sidewalks. None of this seems like service to the public to me.

    PATSEY MANNING
    Rotterdam

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00704&AppName=1

CDTA is mainly funded by the government...aka taxpayer's money. This is what happens when the government gets involved. It's too big of a money sucking vehicle for a 'cheap ride'. Is it needed....perhaps. But it is clearly a money pit.

Two choices here.....pump more taxper's money into the CDTA or privatize it and charge realistically for what reflects the real cost to sustain this service. IMHO

I still don't buy CDTA's argument that increased ridership on other routes has led to a decrease in
profitability overall.  That would be like Price Chopper saying we have more customers buying more of our
products and services -- and as a result we are losing more money.   Good management would find a way to
translate more revenue into more resources to provide the basic product or service more efficiently.
My gut feeling is that they are not managing their money wisely.  

there are about 6 people total at that stop.....and you can go days and days and days without seeing anyone at all....except those who go to the
St.Peters recovery place......because every place else is private and there are no places for shopping...you can eat and drink in 4 places.....you couldn't
even buy a tampon or condom if you wanted to (at a decent price) because CVS closed and the only other option is Stewarts.....pathetic...boy
that communal living feels great doesn't it.....