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Executive Director's Corner
January 2009 Dear Friends, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities comes to mind when I think about our economic climate and CDTA’s local impact. We’re at a pivotal point for transit both locally and across the country. We expect to exceed 15.5 million boardings this year, the highest ridership recorded in decades. While this is exciting news, we’re also faced with escalating operating costs and a projected multi-million budget deficit. How do we provide enough service to meet demand, and move forward with plans to expand service and implement projects that improve mobility, reduce pollution, foster regional connectivity and enhance the economic vitality of the Capital Region? Our first task is to close the budget gap with a comprehensive strategic plan endorsed by our Board of Directors including:
Public hearings regarding fare increase proposals were held in Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties in early December. Public input was considered and the original fare structure was revised in effort to balance customer needs with service demand and efficiency. Fare changes will into effect on Monday, April 1, 2009. Route changes through consolidation or cutbacks will be implemented gradually on our most lightly used routes. Our first wave of service consolidations went into effect on Sunday, January 25, 2009. Service options are provided to customers who may be impacted by these changes. While it is difficult to raise fares and trim service when our customers are hurting just as we are, these actions are needed to keep efficient service on the roads and continue advancing our long-range plans to serve more people. If you feel that investing in our transit infrastructure is important to the vitality of the Capital Region, we invite you to enlist the support of our government representatives by sending them a letter advocating for more transit funding. Thank you for your support and I hope you continue to ride with CDTA. Sincerely,
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Capital District Transportation Authority 
110 Watervliet Avenue Albany, New York 12206 Main Office: 518-437-8300 Customer Info Center: 518-482-8822