HENRIETTA, N.Y. – Next week, continuous bus service will return to the VA Clinic on Calkins Road in Henrietta after a group of veterans fought to get direct service back. RTS will now run a shuttle from Marketplace Mall to the VA every 20 minutes from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
When RTS re-structured its routes a few years, it eliminated a direct stop at the VA. At the time, the transit agency said just one person, on average, was getting on/off the bus at that location daily. Instead, it directed veterans to take a bus to Marketplace Mall and then it offered on-demand service from there to the VA.
“We were getting complaints from the veterans that even on-demand, they would try to call ahead of time and there’s only 6 seats and the seats would be taken,” says former Army Staff Sgt. Katherine Quinones, who chairs the local Latino Military Coalition.
There are other free options for veterans to get to the VA, including the Vets Driving Vets program which Monroe County recently gave nearly $500,000 to expand.
However, Quinones says those services often require 24-48 hours-notice, “they are wonderful services DAV and Vets Driving Vets but they aren’t always the most convenient.”
After initially pointing to data that showed low ridership before the stop was eliminated, County Executive Adam Bello had a change of heart. “We saw an issue here, we worked together and RTS stepped up and came up with a solution,” he said at a press conference on Monday.
Jennifer Lewke, News10NBC: “How do you balance the cost of what this is with the demand for it?”
Miguel Velazquez, RTS CEO: “Thanks for the question, this is the solution that we’ve arrived at, it’s a solution that does exactly that, it balances the amount of service that we can provide with the amount of resources that we have.”
Jennifer Lewke: “How much will it cost and will you assess it every so often so you know whether it’s being used?”
Miguel Velazquez: “So, we always reassess our service that’s part of what we do of course to make sure that we’re being efficient and effective in the services that we provide, at this point I can’t give you a figure on the cost. We are still, depending on the schedule that our operators have and overtime that we have to put in order to do this, so I don’t have an exact figure for you right now but it’s something that we assess all the time.”
Jennifer Lewke: “It’s cheaper to have a shuttle than to just add a stop there?”
Miguel Valazquez: “Well, there is no stop there right now. The VA clinic is served with our on-demand service as you know that’s a service that people would have to schedule a ride ahead of time. This is now going to be a scheduled stop every 20 minutes going there and that is better service of course, more reliable service that we are able to provide at this point.”
Quinones believes the previous low ridership numbers may have been impacted by the pandemic and that demand to get to the VA by bus is back. “I feel like we have accomplished something because this is all about the veterans,” she says.
RTS’ standard rate of $1 per ride will apply to the new shuttle. The Veterans Outreach Center has free bus passes for veterans in need.
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RTS to launch continuous shuttle service to VA clinic in Henrietta after veterans raise concerns WHEC.com.
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