ROCHESTER, N.Y. — News10NBC is looking at the impacts caused by RTS announcing it will end on-demand service on weekends and weekdays past 8 p.m.
News10NBC reporter Erin Mahon spoke with one person who relies on on-demand buses to get to work. Chris Bierre says he’s stressed for himself and his several other coworkers who rely on the service.
RTS On Demand is a ride-sharing option that brings riders anywhere within one of its seven “on demand zones.” It’s $3 a ride and can bring riders directly to the curb in front of their stop or else an RTS bus stop.
Bierre found out that RTS is removing weekend on-demand services. He works at least one weekend day every week.
“I was not too happy about it because all of a sudden, like weekends where I work is very very busy, and now I have to figure something else out,” Bierre said. “And I also checked it, checked the Uber app and Uber at that time was $25 — not including tip, just to get to work and back.”
Bierre says he’s able to ask family for rides for now. But he’s also worried about some of his coworkers.
“I’m more angry at the fact that some of my coworkers who are some are pretty disabled,” Bierre said. “I just feel like they’re being left out to dry because they don’t have the other options I do.”
RTS says the decision stems from a budget deficit. It says on demand represents less than 3% of overall ridership but requires about 15% of the total budget to operate.
“So you know, to the extent that we can, we’d rather not touch the 97% of the ridership because that’s being used so often and so frequently,” said Tom Brede, RTS’s public information officer. “So let’s start here.”
In addition, COVID relief money is also depleted. RTS relies mainly on state funding for operating costs. It gets federal funding as well, but that’s reserved for capital spending on buses and infrastructure.
“Not something we really want to do,” Brede said. “We’re always hearing from customers that they want us to do more. They want us to go more places more often. People rely on us a lot, and we’re an important service, and we know that, and we know that this is going to be impactful. But again, it’s one of those things where we have to make that decision just for the overall financial health and sustainability of the whole system.”
Previous changes RTS made to its program
RTS tells News10NBC that it didn’t just give up on its on-demand program and tried multiple times to make it work.
The transit agency has implemented several changes since starting the on-demand program in May 2021. Last September, it increased the fare from $1 per ride to $3.
The last two years, RTS requested a 15 percent increase in the state budget. Last year it got a 4.8 percent increase, and this year, 7.1 percent.
RTS says its expenses continue to grow faster than its revenues. For now, it’s dipping into savings to operate the on-demand service fully until its cancellation in September.
For more information on free and low-cost ride programs available on weekends, see the options below.
Lifespan TRAC:
Transportation needs to start in the county the person resides in.
Compeer Rochester: Vets Driving Vets:
https://www.compeerrochester.org/request-a-ride
You’ll need a 72-hour business notice to request a ride.
Medical Motors:
For a link to Medical Motors, which is a nonprofit that delivers transportation to kids, adults, and seniors with specialized needs, click here.
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