TransitThursday, November 5
RTS will end On Demand service across Monroe County, with last rides Jan. 22 and April 2
The Rochester Morning News team
If you ride RTS On Demand, mark your calendar. Regional Transit Service says it will end the service across Monroe County, starting with Brockport, Irondequoit, Pittsford and Webster. New fixed routes will take over in the areas where riders used it most.
On Demand ends in two rounds, then new routes start
- Jan. 22Last day of On Demand in Brockport, Irondequoit, Pittsford and Webster
- April 2Last day of On Demand in Greece, Henrietta and Lexington Avenue areas
- April 5New fixed routes will start in Henrietta, Greece and Lexington Avenue/Lee Road
Sources: WHEC.com, Spectrum News Rochester
RTS says On Demand is under 3% of its ridership but takes 14% of its budget. The agency faces a $30 million budget deficit, and a news release says the changes won't fully close it. CEO Miguel Velázquez said the decision comes down to cost.
- Henrietta: Route 97 Elmwood Commuter extends to the Calkins Road VA Clinic
- Lexington Ave./Lee Road: new commuter route, mornings and evenings, seven days
- Greece: new route from the Transit Center to Walmart on Dewey Avenue
State Sen. Jeremy Cooney, who chairs the Transportation Committee, called the end of On Demand "a direct hit to those who rely on its services each day."
On Demand takes 14% of the budget for under 3% of riders
- 14%
- of RTS's budget goes to On Demand
- Under 3%
- of RTS ridership is On Demand
- 6.5 times
- more per customer than a fixed-route bus
- $30 million
- structural budget deficit at RTS