Voices of Transit 2026

1. Did you grow up riding public transportation?

 

I didn’t ride transit until my 20s. I was born in Rochester and moved around a lot then didn’t use RTS until I came back in 1991. Back then the buses were really good. I was living out in Greece at Long Pond in and the buses took us to Irondequoit mall for $1 and you didn’t even have to transfer. It would take you downtown and I could get to a lot of places.

 

2. What RTS service and routes do you use?

 

I ride it maybe about 4 days a week.

 

I use the 13 (South Ave) bus a lot, the 12 (S. Clinton), the 41 (Culver/Goodman Crosstown), the 3 (Joseph) and the 4 (Hudson).

 

I would prefer to use the OnDemand bus but it doesn’t come downtown.

 

3. Do you own a car?

 

I used to. Now I will get rides when I can afford it.

 

4. How does RTS play a role in your day to day life?

 

I take it to work. It’s unfortunate because I’m a substitute [teacher] and this one school on Bryan St. kept offering sub jobs but I couldn’t get there because I can’t get a bus there. There are other schools too where I’ve had difficulty getting to jobs and I can’t work.

 

I used to work security near Marketplace mall but the bus went all the way around where I needed to go so I had to walk a while. It took a lot to get there but it was a good paying job but I lost it because I was late whenever the bus was late getting me there.

 

When I think of all the doctors appointments I go to, and I go to quite a few different areas, I don’t know many that are accessible by bus. RTS doesn’t go to Red Creek or Fairport, at least where I need it, so I have to get medical transportation which requires authorization from your doctor.

 

5. How do you pay for RTS? 

 

When I went to MCC I was happy to get an ID to pay for the bus. Now I am lucky because I have agencies that help me with monthly passes.

 

6. What doesn’t work for you about RTS service, and what would you change?

 

Why don’t we have better service to the suburbs? To use OnDemand, I have to get another bus to get to the zone and then I’m standing out in the cold again? We need to fix that because there are a lot of places people need to go.

 

There are a lot of organizations hiring but they’re out in the suburbs and people can’t get there. There’s a few buses to Fairport, East Rochester or Pittsford but they don’t go where the jobs are. I have friends who walk a mile to get to a job because the bus doesn’t take them all the way. That’s a lot to walk then work an eight hour job and then walk a mile back. We shouldn’t have to be stronger than our own transportation. If we had transportation to the hub, people would be able to do better and help themselves.

 

The 41 (Culver/Goodman Crosstown) should definitely be 15 minute service. Everyone uses that one. The 15 (Plymouth) bus goes out to the hospital but it takes forever. I don’t know why they did that. Or the 5 (Portland) which also goes to a hospital but they discontinued it. What if people don’t have money to catch an ambulance? If buses came every 15 minutes I wouldn’t be stressing about how to get to the emergency room. They also need more double buses like they have on Portland.

 

Or what about working off hours? There should be early morning buses for people who need to be at work early or late. Some buses run until midnight but what happens if I work at a bar and it doesn’t close until two? They should have buses near that area in Alexander with all the bars because you don’t want those people driving after being at the bar all night.

 

7. What works for you about RTS service?

 

I like that they go to grocery stores. The 4 (Hudson) goes to Walmart and the 12 (S. Clinton) goes to Tops.

 

I love that the 22 (Lake) goes to Charlotte beach which is great. It’s easy to get to schools like Nazareth or St. John Fisher or MCC which is nice for people who don’t drive.

 

It’s nice that you get to meet new people. I met this family going to School #12. Every time I ride there I get to see her and the kids. That’s a good feeling when you communicate with the community. You won’t get that in a car.

 

8. What are your thoughts on bus amenities?  

 

I live across from the Transit Center and that’s great but coming home is a hassle. Standing out in the snow with no shelter. I’m 54 now so it’s not easy to just stand on my feet for 20-30 minutes waiting. It’s very important to me to have benches.

 

Why did they take down all the shelters? I know homeless people are sleeping in there but what about the riders? I can’t stand for a long period of time. We’re out in the cold and there are no windows protecting you from the wind.

 

9. What is your hope for the future for public transportation in Rochester?

 

I’d really like to see the 15 minute service go back. And more coverage. They should look at where people need to get to and what’s more important for customers then put a bus there and back. There are so many buses that are not active all day that could be used.

1. Did you grow up riding public transportation?

 

No, not until college where I used the Centro bus system in Utica NY. The campus I went to was a commuter campus so it was very car-focused. It had one bus stop and I would take that to get the train home. Before that I maybe used the bus in NYC once or twice visiting and maybe Boston as well.

 

2. What RTS service and routes do you use?

 

I started riding RTS around 2023 when I moved into an apartment in Rochester. I would often take it downtown to meet friends. I primarily ride routes 8 (E. Main) and 41 (Culver/Goodman Crosstown) which are both great. I haven’t had any problem with them. I don’t necessarily know if they followed the schedule because I just use the real time arrival tracking on the Transit app.

 

Yes I’ve used OnDemand, but I tend not to use it much because it just doesn’t work. It’s hard to book trips. When trips are booked I’ve been sitting at a location for 45 minutes before the driver showed up. I really can’t rely on using it to get to work. Also you cannot go from one zone into any adjacent area no matter how close they are. There’s no overlap. So if I want to go from Charlotte to Durand Eastman, I would have to go all the way to one of the connection hubs in Irondequoit. Now instead of it being a 5 min trip across the bridge to the location, it’s a 15-20 min drive across Irondequoit.

 

3. Do you own a car?

 

I do have a car but I wanted to try using the bus system here when I don’t have huge time restrictions. I ride RTS because I don’t want to drive. I don’t want to find parking. It’s definitely nice especially in the summer when I can combine it with my bike easily to not have to spend as much on gas money. Also I’m paying a minimum of $2,000 to own my car between maintenance and insurance. I would get rid of my car if I could reliably commute to work in less than 45 minutes.

 

I’ve taken my parents on the bus. Both times it was their first time ever riding the bus in Rochester. Mind you, they have both lived here for decades. Definitely the pains you come to expect between frequency and connections were there. Luckily we weren’t going too far; we were mostly going on the 8 (E. Main) to downtown and then out. But that was a neutral experience. The most recent time I went with my mother from my house, we left the car there and took the 8 to Eastman where we then walked to the Christmas market. We did end up taking a ride share back because we had just missed the bus and couldn’t wait 30 minutes for the next one.

 

4. How does RTS play a role in your day to day life?

 

My doctor’s appointments have a 5 minute window of arrival so I take the 41 (Culver/Goodman Crosstown) to the 40 (Ridge Crosstown) to go out to the Greece office and that works perfectly. It drops me right off in front and I make it to the appointment on time. If I have a strict time table then I choose to drive because I don’t want to be late.

 

I work at a U of R building on E River Rd. which is difficult to access from my location on RTS. There is a route close to the office but it doesn’t go to my building. It would probably be a 5 min walk but it would be down a busy street. It’s not exactly a low-stress environment to be walking there. So I take the 41 from Beechwood to College Town then I have to wait for the U of R bus to take me to my office. This makes transfers difficult because the different bus lines don’t sync their schedules. I can only take the U of R bus because I’m an employee so not everyone has this option.

5. How do you pay for RTS? 

 

I’ve been really happy since they introduced tap-to-pay. Before that I used the QR code scanning from the Transit app which I didn’t really like; it felt bulky and not very nice. Depending on your screen dimness or if my phone died, or the reader functionality it wouldn’t always work so I would always carry an RTS Go card on me connected to my account so it was the same balance.

 

6. What doesn’t work for you about RTS service, and what would you change?

 

Lack of bike capacity. Only being able to put two bicycles on the front of buses is quite a drawback. Last summer I biked to Brockport, which turns out is quite far, so I biked back to Greece before I decided to take a bus home since I was tired. The bus had two bikes on it so I just had to bike the rest of the way home.

 

A similar thing happened to another rider who I saw taking the number 7 out to Webster. I had just put my bike on the bus so now there were two and it was full. At the next stop was another person who couldn’t get on because they had a bike. They worked at the Walmart in Baytown. They now had to ride their bike down Empire Blvd. to get to their job. Unfortunately the other person who put their bike on got off at the last stop before going down that hill on Empire. It’s not a great place to ride.

 

There is a bus stop on the Empire hill on the Webster side. I don’t even think it should be allowed but the outgoing bus stop on the uphill section there you get thrown on the shoulder and then you have to cross 5 lanes of traffic to get to that housing development. I’ve talked to some people who will take the bus out to the end of the line and all the way back because they feel so unsafe getting off at the other side of the road.

 

7. What works for you about RTS service?

 

The reliability of RTS Connect is amazing. I can rely on it being there on the times when it says it’s there. I haven’t experienced much cancellation, really just one or two times. Knowing that I can take the bus when I want to is great.

 

8. What are your thoughts on bus amenities? 

 

I wish there were more shelters. Also maybe some actual benches. The cube things are nice but they aren’t the most comfortable thing in the world. Plus they like to collect water. Over time people sit on them and they slowly deform. When it rains water pools on the cubes. It’s not great.

 

Another thing is the curb to the sidewalk could be better. I took the bus out to Brighton on Monroe Ave and the bus stop was right in a bush. Someone had planted something between the sidewalk and the curb and it looked really nice but the bus stop is there and I had to walk through it. I feel bad ruining someone’s garden.

 

I will say there are some very nice bus stops along Monroe Ave. in Brighton. They have a full shelter and a bench, not the standard RTS shelter, it’s more artsy. Then they had a full surface material like asphalt or reclaimed rubber between the curb and the sidewalk which was nice.

9. What is your hope for the future for public transportation in Rochester?

 

I really want to see higher frequencies. The network in my opinion has very good coverage but frequencies leave something to be desired. I’d also like to see more crosstown routes. The 41 (Culver/Goodman Crosstown) crosses University, East Ave and Park but it’s very difficult to transfer between 41 and one of those main routes unless you’re at the end point.

 

So there’s a 50 (Fairport/Penfield) out to Fairport that doesn’t connect to the 8 (E. Main). There’s a transfer point at Blossom which connects the 50 to the 9 (University) and the 10 (Park) but the 8 is a high frequency route that doesn’t connect with anything at the end. So if I want to go to Fairport, I either have to take the 8 to Winton then bike to the Blossom transfer or go all the way in to the Transit Center. It’s a lot of work so I’d love to see some kind of crosstown route that connects these routes.

1. Did you grow up riding public transportation?

 

I’m from Amherst and yes I did but pretty rarely. Those buses have a similar vibe to Rochester where they’re not terribly frequent and I lived farther away from a hub. I just had the B43 line that took you to North Hampton and I did take that on occasion. But once I got a car it was easier and faster.

 

2. What RTS service and routes do you use?

 

I ride RTS most days. Most everywhere except work because I work at U of R and there isn’t really a bus that [connects] from my [RTS Connect bus line]. The shuttle isn’t very convenient and I never know if they’re coming or not.

 

I take the 13 (South Ave) most frequently. Sometimes the 12 (S. Clinton) to get to Brighton. The 14 (Marketplace) to the Wegmans in Henrietta.  It was super convenient when I lived between the 13 and the 14. Essentially I had a 15 minute bus window to get downtown.

 

The 41 (Culver/Goodman Crosstown) is probably my second most-used line. It’s really efficient to get to Park Ave or East or University. You’ve got the Little Theatre, Red Fern, Stevers…that whole area.

3. Do you own a car?

 

My fiance and I collectively own one car. We got that car for free and we’re trying to use it as long as possible. We don’t want to pay for a new car and be on credit. Most of my friends who have cars are paying them off with a lot of money per month. We also both like being more ecologically responsible.

 

4. How does RTS play a role in your day to day life?

 

I use it for groceries, work, doctors appointments… I’ll use the 14 (Marketplace) or 41 (Culver/Goodman Crosstown) to go to Wegmans. Sometimes bigger bulk items make it difficult. I have a cart that I use but it can be unwieldy.

 

The 12 (S. Clinton) is best for my errands. It goes to my doctor, my dermatologist, and my dentist because they’re all in a line over there. Also my tailor which is in the strip mall where the Tops is.

 

I took the 41 to get my wedding dress in a store that was there called Scarlet Bridal. It’s not there anymore. I took it home on the bus sitting in one of the seats holding it above my head so it didn’t trail on the floor.

 

5. How do you pay for RTS? 

 

I pay with my work [University of Rochester] ID because I have a U-pass (a universal pass that employers pay RTS for). [Before having a U-pass], I mostly paid with the app. I tried cash but it’s a pain.

 

6. What doesn’t work for you about RTS service, and what would you change?

 

The two biggest things that I would change are frequency and we need another crosstown line. Preferably more than one. Being near the 41 (Culver/Goodman Crosstown) has been such a game changer in convenience. It’s helped me avoid so many transfers or trips to the transit center.

 

It can be hard planning out all the details. It would be incredible to have regular buses every 10 minutes. Even 15 minutes would be great. Then you wouldn’t have to plan because you know another bus is close by. A lot of RTS routes only run every hour after a certain time. It’s difficult planning on weekends because it’s an hour wait. Imagine missing that bus.

 

If I’m taking a 20 minute bus ride and a 5 min walk, the difference between that and a 15 min car ride is negligible. But if it’s a 10 min car ride versus a 50 min bus ride with two transfers…then I get why people don’t want to choose the bus.

 

7. What works for you about RTS service?

 

I get to read on the bus which is great. I can mend a shirt. You can do stuff on a bus. So what if it takes 45 minutes to get there? If you get in a car for 20 minutes there’s nothing to do. Also I hate parking so much. Looking for it or paying for it. When we go to The Little Theatre or the Dryden, if we get on the bus we’re dropped off right there.

 

Also we have better conversations on the bus. In the car the driver is distracted while focusing on not crashing the car. I was getting on [the bus] the other day and I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time and I met his girlfriend.

 

8. What are your thoughts on bus amenities? 

 

Yeah most of the bus stops that I use most commonly have neither seating nor shelters. I think honestly probably seating is the bigger deal especially if it’s 60 minute service. I like Reconnect Rochester’s bus cubes.

9. What is your hope for the future for public transportation in Rochester?

 

I hope I can get people to use it more. I use it to get to most places. Our car was in the body shop for a month and a half last November. We were still able to get 95% of the places. We never had to use an Uber.

 

I just want more people to try transit! I want more people to see it as a valid option.

1. What RTS service and routes do you use?

 

I ride the 16 (Genesee), the 21 (Dewey), the 4 (Hudson), the 20 (Lyell) and the 1 (St. Paul).

 

OnDemand doesn’t work. If we’re trying to go to Victor or East Rochester, we have to travel so far and take 2-3 buses. Then after that we have to meet an Onemand bus? How do we schedule that? Why not just have buses run all the way out there? People from the suburbs need to come into the city and OnDemand doesn’t make sense to get them there. Anywhere people need to go should not be a struggle to get to.

 

2. Do you own a car?

 

No.

 

3. How does RTS play a role in your day to day life?

 

I take it to doctors appointments, for errands. I also take it to go to meetings for my kids’ school which is challenging because the superintendent hosts meetings at different schools and some of them aren’t accessible by RTS.

 

4. What doesn’t work for you about RTS service, and what would you change?

 

There are places the buses just won’t go and that’s challenging. They’re also discontinuing some of their stops which they should not be doing. Especially near some of the schools which is especially hard for parents.

 

Crowded buses are not cool. People have to stand up and that’s not right or there’s no room for wheelchairs or parents with strollers. We need better access for them. I understand there is a designated area but it needs to be better so parents can sit up front with their strollers without issue.

 

Also they need to stop shutting down the bathrooms at the transit center when something goes wrong. You should not shut down the bathrooms.

5. What works for you about RTS service?

 

I really like some of the operators who make us smile. When we say, “Good morning,” they’ll say it back. They’re willing to help us if we need. We have some really good operators out there willing to do their job. I like that.

 

6. What are your thoughts on bus amenities? 

 

It’s winter now and it’s so hard for everyone when bus stops aren’t shoveled out. Wheelchairs have to go on the side of the street and just sit there. It’s also not safe for people with walkers or canes or kids who have to walk on the side of the street since the sidewalk is not shoveled. The city needs to make that better. It doesn’t make any sense.

 

We need shelters. So many stops don’t have them. We need something to keep people warm especially when it’s cold out or when it rains. At the hospital they have a timer showing when the bus is coming. I’d like to see that at all the shelters. If the bus is running late they can let us know.

 

Some stops have the little square things (bus stop cubes) but a lot of people from the neighborhood just hang out on them and don’t get up for riders. So we need more seating all over.

7. What is your hope for the future for public transportation in Rochester?

 

We need it in our city, we need it in our suburbs. We need it all over. To help everyone. When you have single mothers, single dads, single grandparents without cars who don’t have money and they’re missing appointments or they can’t take their kids to school when they miss the school bus. They deserve better.

 

I’m asking and begging to get more help for RTS. For families that keep being denied RTS Access [RTS service for physically disabled]. My health is not great and I have a hard time going back and forth to bus stops. And going back and forth to my doctors. Make sure RTS works for everybody.

1. Did you grow up riding public transportation?

 

Not often. I grew up in a suburb with a couple bus lines in the town but I didn’t ride the city buses until I moved to Rochester for college. I started riding RTS to get to places I couldn’t get to by walking or biking. This way I didn’t have to bum a ride off a friend or get an Uber.

 

2. What RTS service and routes do you use?

 

On average I take it every other day but it’s weather dependent. I’ll bike when the weather works but when there’s three feet of snow on the ground or it’s raining, I’ll take the bus.

 

I ride the 13 (South Ave), the 4 (Hudson), the 41 (Culver/Goodman Crosstown), the 12 (S. Clinton), or the 14 (Marketplace). I’ll occasionally take 11 (Monroe) to the Pittsford Plaza area.

 

I have not ridden OnDemand.

 

3. Do you own a car?

 

I share a car and we don’t want to have to get a second car because of the financial burden. RTS allows us to make the most of our every day trips without having to use the car.

 

4. How does RTS play a role in your day to day life?

 

A big role. Especially in the winter. I use it to get to work. I also take it to get to other activities, to restaurants or stores…lots of places.

 

For my previous job, I took the 13 (South Ave). The office was downtown so I’d walk from the transit center. Now I have a longer bus ride in the morning. But it gives me time to sit on the bus and now I’ve been reading more books. It’s something I did a lot when I was kid in elementary and middle school and riding the bus has given me an opportunity to get back into that. I find that valuable.

 

5. How do you pay for RTS? 

 

I use the Transit app. I add funds to my account and scan the QR code. I find it to be pretty easy for route finding and tracking the bus.

 

6. What doesn’t work for you about RTS service, and what would you change?

 

For the most part I’m happy with the routes but I would like it if there were more crosstown buses. Specifically there is nothing to cross the Ford St. bridge which is a significant gap between Elmwood and downtown. Also along Winton Rd. running parallel to the 41 (Culver/Goodman Crosstown). I could see that to allow connection to the Twelve Corners Plaza and to North Winton Village.

 

Honestly, the biggest thing I would want to change is frequency. That is the biggest barrier that prevents me from riding RTS more often. For instance, I’m taking a flight tomorrow and it’s an 18 min drive but over an hour on RTS. If there were more lines that would enable a lot more people to see it as a better option.

 

Also having frequency cut in half after 6 or 7pm is a big issue for me. I would like to be able to go places conveniently in the evening. If I’m out to dinner and I miss the bus by a few minutes, I have to wait over an hour for the next one.

 

7. What works for you about RTS service?

 

The buses themselves are really pleasant to ride. I almost never have an issue getting on to the bus or finding a seat. You could say that that’s a downside since it shows how the ridership could be higher. But the buses themselves are comfortable. The operators are by and large quite nice.

 

Since I’ve been commuting on the bus more recently I’ve been getting to know the people on my route. I’ve built some of those acquaintances. The environment encourages that sort of thing.

 

I find biking part of the way then putting my bike on the bus really helps me get anywhere. I can bike to work one way and take a bus to go home if it’s raining or something. Or if I want to reach a destination that is not on a bus line, I can bring my bike to avoid a lengthy walk to get there. It’s a really powerful combination especially at night when RTS is less frequent.

 

8. What are your thoughts on bus amenities? 

 

My bus stop has a bench. It’s on a sidewalk with a nice curb which works for me. However there is a wheelchair user at my stop and even though there is a curb cut, when it’s snowy and they don’t plow the sidewalks it’s an issue. When RTS puts out the ramp it goes on the snow and she has to roll over the snow. Some better winter maintenance on the pads and bus stops is important. Also making sure each bus stop has those concrete pads so people can get on the bus without having to walk through the mud and snow.

9. What is your hope for the future for public transportation in Rochester?

 

I would be thrilled if we had some kind of light rail at some point. We used to have the subway here. I think that’s a relic of a time when public transportation was seen as the first choice and I think that we should work to go back to that.

1. Did you grow up riding public transportation?

 

I was born in NYC and I rode transit a lot. When I moved here I realized how much I missed the transit there. I wouldn’t say RTS is terrible they just need more orbital or cross town routes.

 

When I was in high school back in 2021, the yellow school buses for RCSD had a huge driver shortage. We were stranded until RTS had to step in and help students get to school. This resulted in resource shortage for RTS where only four of the eight frequent routes are running every 15 minutes. My school happened to be one of those schools briefly until they got one of those yellow bus operators for us. This snowballed into me riding RTS. That same school year I attended after school programs and would take RTS fixed routes from school to home. I’ve been a frequent rider ever since.

 

2. What RTS service and routes do you use?

 

I basically live on the 6 (N Goodman) though if I miss it I use the 5 (Portland) to get home albeit with a longer walk. I take the 13  (South Ave) for school. To get home, the 41 (Culver/Goodman Crosstown) takes the throne and the 2 (N. Clinton) as well. The other routes are just for exploration.

 

I don’t use OnDemand though the fare increase did annoy me somewhat. People rely on this. By increasing it to $3 it may turn away some people who can’t afford it or they may decide a car is better. With fixed routes you can just show up at a stop and go which is better.

 

3. Do you own a car?

 

No. I bike as well but that’s it.

 

4.  How does RTS play a role in your day to day life?

 

I use it mostly for school during the day. In the evenings after 6pm the headways get way worse. But it’s a decent experience.

 

5. What doesn’t work for you about RTS service, and what would you change?

 

Controversially, I would convert some of Main St. into a bus-exclusive street at least in the downtown area. It is the busiest corridor. I would like to see transit signal priority as well, especially at the transit center, so the buses don’t have to wait so long to get out of there. Transit signal priority is when a bus arrives at an intersection the signals detect the bus is there and turn green sooner or remain green if it’s about to turn red.

 

I also don’t like how the routes feel a bit more “suburban-y” with big parking lots and big houses and not even a curb for bus riders to use when getting off.

 

6.  What works for you about RTS service?

 

It’s a nice way to get to know the city. On weekends I’ll head to the transit center and ride a random route. Recently I took the 23 (West Ave/Airport) to the airport to see how it would work. I just like public transit in general as a service and I definitely would like to see it funded more.

 

Since I’m an MCC student, I can ride for free. I can save money for things that are more important like equipment for college or other things.

 

7. What are your thoughts on bus amenities?

 

A countdown clock like what Chicago has with their ink paper displays could be helpful. Also some bus stops are way too close together. Merging them would help those on board so we can all go quicker.

 

8. What is your hope for the future for public transportation in Rochester?

 

I want more frequency but all things considered they do a decent job of providing a service for what I need. Though I’d definitely like to see more routes. If I’m pushing it, I’d like more suburban routes with double decker buses. As controversial as it sounds, we can use highways for public transit corridors. We can connect people in the city with those in the suburbs. Maybe once we have higher ridership, we can introduce a light rail to connect the city from one line to another.