Voices of Transit

Reconnect Rochester presents Voices of Transit, an ethnography profile blog series that along with the qualitative survey data from over 200 RTS customers, shows how our current bus system helps (and sometimes hurts) transit-dependent riders in their daily lives. Read more about the initiative here and to review the survey results from the Transit Ambassador Pilot Program, click here.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and give us an introduction to your transit story.

I’m from Northern Pennsylvania, near Allegheny County. Before moving to Rochester, I lived in Denver for a couple years and was looking to move, and a friend recommended that I move out here, so it’s been about 10 years now.

Tell me more about your experience with riding RTS. Which routes do you ride the most?

I’m car free so getting around Rochester now is better than it was, especially after Reimagine RTS because now buses run at least every hour and there’s more coverage. Before Reimagine, I worked out in Webster and on the weekends I would get on the bus at 6:30 in the morning, work from 10 AM – 6 PM, and when I got off of work I had to walk from my job in Webster to Winton Road which was the closest bus stop.

So it’s a lot easier, but it still has some complications. Now, I work at Eastview and I take the 41, 11L and Victor OnDemand service to get to work. Coming home, I’ll take OnDemand from Eastview to Blossom Loop and then walk 2.5 miles home to Rosewood Terrace. At Blossom Loop, there’s the 9 and 10 which alternate every half hour so I can take that to the 41, but then when I get to Goodman, the 41 at that time starts to come every hour. So at that point, do I wait for a half an hour or do I just walk home?

Tell me more about your experience with OnDemand.

It’s not bad, but it’s tricky to schedule. I have to schedule the night before, but it’s not guaranteed that I’ll get a ride, and it can be frustrating because if you can’t find a ride at the time that you need you have to try and schedule in 15 minute increments until you get a ride.

I think OnDemand to Eastview makes more sense than maybe a fixed route, but they do need more drivers to service that area because the few times when I couldn’t get a ride, I’ve had to walk home from Eastview which was 4.5 hours. The second time, I walked to Pittsford just in time to catch the 11L home.

What’s your experience with bus stop amenities? What would make you more comfortable while you wait?

I get on the 41 at Greeley and Parsells, and there’s a shelter and bus stop cubes, but there’s a lot of stops where there’s nothing there and you just have to stand on the side of the road hoping the weather holds out. I also like that the bus stop cubes make the stop more visible to drivers which is nice.

Is there anything that you would change about the current service? What’s your hope for the future of public transportation in Rochester?

I would like to see the 22L go back running every 15 mins. I also work at the Maplewood YMCA and it was easier to get to and from work when it was every 15 minutes compared to every half hour.

Also, Route 50 is terrible. It runs every two hours. I went for an interview in East Rochester on a cold day and I was stuck standing outside in the cold waiting for the bus. Luckily, my interview ended 15 minutes before the next bus came, otherwise I would’ve been waiting another 2 hours for the next bus. It should run at least every hour, but I understand that there may not be enough riders to support that.

But, things are in a good space and service could be expanded to make it easier for people to access more parts of the city and suburbs.

Anything else you would like to add?
There’s the southern part of Webster all the way down to Henrietta where there’s no service coverage for OnDemand or regular bus service and I think that gap could be filled.

Reconnect Rochester presents Voices of Transit, an ethnography profile blog series that along with the qualitative survey data from over 200 RTS customers, shows how our current bus system helps (and sometimes hurts) transit-dependent riders in their daily lives. Read more about the initiative here and to review the survey results from the Transit Ambassador Pilot Program, click here.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and give us an introduction to your transit story.

I’m from Sao Paulo, Brazil and I moved to Rochester in October 2021 to live with my stepdad. Moving here was a little scary since this was the first time I’ve ever traveled outside of my home country.

I grew up taking the local buses with my mom. In my hometown, you don’t need a car to get around, and it’s a lot easier to get around with the bus because you don’t have to deal with traffic.

I was 7 years old when I first took the bus alone. My mom told me I had to take the bus to school by myself because she had to be at work early that day. I was so afraid that I almost started crying because I didn’t know how to ride the bus without her. But she stayed on the phone with me the entire time and once I got on the bus she had me hand over my phone to the bus driver so that she could tell him which stop I needed to get off for school. After that experience I became more comfortable with taking the city bus by myself to get to school and even to explore the city as I got older. Even if I got lost, I always knew how to get back home by bus.

Tell me about your experience riding the bus in Rochester. What do you like and dislike about it?

I don’t have a license so I ride RTS almost daily to get to work and school. It’s been difficult learning how this system works compared to what I’m used to in Brazil. Here in Rochester, I have to travel to the center of the city to transfer to my next bus. In Sao Paulo, if I’m traveling on the west side of the city I can transfer buses there easily. I don’t need to go to the middle of the city to transfer buses.

I live in North Gates and work in Chili, but there’s no bus that connects both places. So I have to take the #19 toward city center and then take the #18 back out to Chili. It’s a 15 minute drive, but can take over an hour by bus.

Something that I do love about this bus system is the Transit App. I don’t have to worry about remembering to carry a card or stopping somewhere to refill it with money. It’s on my phone and I always have my phone on me. I also like being able to plan out my trips on the App and see how long it will take me to get somewhere.

I also love that there’s air conditioning on the bus which is basically nonexistent on the buses in Brazil!

As someone who’s a new RTS rider, if you could change anything about the bus system and the amenities, what would that be?

I generally like the amenities that I see around, especially the ‘mini houses’ that protect you from the rain and snow. These aren’t too common in Brazil, but I want to see more lighting at the bus stops.

I would also like to see more lines that directly connect each neighborhood instead of people having to go all the way to the Transit Center.

Anything else that you would like to add?

I love that people here care about the customer’s experience. In Brazil, that’s not a thing. But it’s nice to see people like Reconnect Rochester and RTS interviewing people to make changes to the bus system.

Reconnect Rochester presents Voices of Transit, an ethnography profile blog series that along with the qualitative survey data from over 200 RTS customers, shows how our current bus system helps (and sometimes hurts) transit-dependent riders in their daily lives. Read more about the initiative here and to review the survey results from the Transit Ambassador Pilot Program, click here.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and give us an introduction to your transit story.

Before I moved to Rochester, I lived in NYC and walked and biked everywhere. I have a brain injury and have been disabled for the last 14 years which prevents me from driving. Now, I ride RTS to get everywhere that I need to go. In the winter, I have a fat bike that I use to bike around the city too.

Can you talk about why you ride RTS? What do you like about it?

I live in a building that has a lot of elderly and disabled people with mobility challenges, so I take different routes like the 23, 14, or the 3 to get to Walmart to buy groceries for my neighbors, or to get to Home Depot to buy parts to fix the mechanical problems on their wheelchairs.

I live on a tight income and I don’t have a car so riding the bus is very convenient. I also love the Transit App, it makes it easy to find the bus schedules and figure out where I need to go.

The other day there was a woman with crutches carrying bags getting on the bus and I love that the bus driver waited for her to sit down and find her stability before taking off, that’s important.

Is there anything that you don’t enjoy about RTS? Or anything that you might change?

I use my [Transit] app and I only pay .50 cents for a ride and one time the driver asked for my ID and I was surprised because this hasn’t happened to me before, I didn’t know what he meant. He got angry with me and things escalated quite quickly. The second time it happened, the driver snatched my card out of my hand. Not all bus drivers are like that. But, we are all human, we have our days. 

What are your thoughts on bus stop amenities? Is there anything that would make you more comfortable while you wait?

There are a lot of people drinking and smoking and using the bus shelters as housing. I know that this can’t be avoided but I would prefer to not have to hear [sic] that while waiting for the bus.

What’s your hope for the future of public transit in Rochester?

I work with the National Council on the Arts and I bring culture and art to rural communities around Rochester like Victor, Brockport, Medina, and Geneseo. I don’t drive and biking is 21 miles to Brockport, even longer to Geneseo, so my only option is the bus. But it’s not frequent or in some areas there’s no service. I have heard of OnDemand but I have no idea how it works so I would hope that there’s more service in these areas.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

One of my greatest joys of riding the bus in Rochester is that I get to hear people from all over the world, speaking different languages. Like if I take route 1 down St. Paul near the school for English learners, I hear different languages, people dressing in traditional garments, I love it!

Reconnect Rochester presents Voices of Transit, an ethnography profile blog series that dives into the deeper stories of five transit-dependent RTS riders who vulnerably and authentically detail how our bus system helps (and sometimes hurts) them in their daily lives.

These profiles were gathered during our Transit Ambassador pilot program which launched in July 2023 and wrapped up at the end of September. Over 10 weeks, two Reconnect Rochester Transit Ambassadors conducted 2-3 minute surveys, capturing the experiences of over 200 RTS riders at 40 different locations. We learned alot about what’s on the minds of RTS riders and their ideas for system improvements. View the survey results and recommendations that we shared directly with RTS leadership.

During these interactions, our Ambassadors asked if riders would be interested in sharing their transit story more in depth for our Voices of Transit series.*

Jenelle, Antonio, Anthony Thomas, Leticia and William were the inspiring bunch who, with their stories, proved why we are committed to this work. We hope that after reading their stories, you will join  in our efforts to both celebrate what’s good about public transit, and advocate for an improved system that will better serve the people of Monroe County.

*As a thank you for their time and lived experiences, survey respondents were offered an All Day Pass, and ethnographies interviewees were offered a Weekly pass.

Disclaimer: All stories in this blog series are reflective of the rider’s experience and may not convey the most up to date and accurate information on the current RTS system. We will add relevant links directly to the RTS website where readers can find more information and inquire with the RTS team for further clarification on routes, bus passes, amenities, schedules and other details that might be pertinent to rider experiences.

Jenelle Harriff (she/her/hers)

Tell us a little bit about who Jenelle is and an introduction to your transit story.

I grew up in Webster, right off of Bay Road, and I started riding the bus when I was 16. My first job was as an intern at the Board of Elections in the Sibley Building, so I always took the bus downtown. 

I went to college in NYC and after a year I came back home and ended up working 3 jobs and going to night school at MCC all while taking the bus, so I was a ‘super rider’. All of my drivers that I grew up with back then are still on the road today. So it’s always fun to keep up with each other after all these years…25 years actually!

You’ve been riding with RTS since before the system change (Reimagine RTS). What difference has it made to your trips?

I live in North Winton Village, by Winton and Browncroft. So I’m on routes 8, 9 and 10. I was very disappointed that they eliminated the Winton road service because the abbreviated 9 route from Blossom Route to downtown flies! 

I don’t think they [RTS] realized how many people they isolated in our neighborhood when they eliminated the 48 bus route. There used to be 12 people a day on a morning bus, now it’s 2 or 3. Now people get rides from spouses or neighbors. I think that RTS is doing great on improving the system,  but I think they need to think about people’s first and last mile trips and how far they have to hike, especially when carrying groceries or children. My walk went from 3/10ths of a mile to over 7/10ths of a mile up to Winton and Blossom, it’s not bad in nice weather. But when there’s ice and unshoveled snow, it’s treacherous. It’s more than double the walk and there’s no easier way to do that trip. 

So unfortunately the system change made my life a lot tougher and I wasn’t a huge fan [of Reimagine RTS], but most of the time I get the service when I need it. 

What do you like about RTS?

I try to advocate for our public transit system whenever I can. I always tell people they can take the bus to the public market and not have to worry about the headache of finding parking, or to get to one of our many festivals and concerts (like the PGA!).

I also love the Customer Open House. There are a lot of people who are deterred because they don’t want to ask questions. But the open house makes using the bus system more approachable for people.

In our harsh winters, even on the snowiest days, I’ve always gotten home safe. I’m always thankful for my drivers because it’s been ugly out there sometimes. But I’ve always made it home and you can always depend on the good heat on the bus. It’s been my lifeline. 

What do you dislike about the current system? What makes it difficult as a transit-dependent rider?

I’ve been job hunting for months now and I’ve had to eliminate several employers who are out on Bailey Road or W. Henrietta Road. 

OnDemand doesn’t extend past East Avenue and there’s no service to Linden Avenue. So all of those healthcare agencies and offices really cut out my prospective employers. Paychex, Remade Institute, all of the big companies out there don’t have bus service to get to work, unless you’re willing to pay for a $20 uber. So it really compressed my job hunt and it was discouraging. I have several college degrees and a great job history, and it really puts a linchpin in everything. 

Thankfully I was able to find a position in Canandaigua on Main Street, so I trialed it and I was able to get there by bus! It took a while but all the connections worked to RTS Ontario: I went from Blossom Loop and got to Eastview and connected my next bus to Finger Lakes Gaming and took the third shuttle down to the West Avenue Hub, and my new job is one block away.

The lack of transit to a lot of the best paying jobs in our region really made it so I was pushed to relocate and it’s discouraging. I love my neighborhood here in the city and I’m very involved in my community as the Block Captain. I’ve been a vendor at the public market since I was 17 and I’m involved in my local Community Gardens. But I need to independently get around and I don’t like to depend on family or friends to do so.

To add onto that, when I lived in Philadelphia and NYC, I was independent and that really empowered me as a disabled person. I have one good eye but I have bad depth-perception, so the world’s a safer place without me driving. I came back home in 2010 and trying to get around after all of those years of independence and frequent service was an adjustment. 

What are your thoughts on bus stop amenities? What would make you more comfortable while you wait?

My local stop doesn’t have any seating or shelter. But, I love the bus stop cubes because even just to put your bags down after shopping because the ground gets muddy in bad weather, just those little touches makes people’s lives easier, or just a place to lean or I’ve seen people who are disabled with walkers using the cubes which is really helpful. It’s nice to see those enhancements.

I would love to just see a simple plexiglass panel that can protect you from the elements, even if it’s not a full shelter. And if there is a shelter, having regular maintenance and cleaning would be nice. Sometimes the shelters are just gross, the seats are gross, there’s litter and cigarettes and the trash gets piled up. I would rather not have a shelter where it gets dirty and you don’t want to sit and be comfortable.

What’s your hope for the future of public transportation in Rochester? 

The existing system with set service is great. I would love to see enhanced service to suburban areas through OnDemand more. We’re on the right path for more frequent service in the city. But better and additional service for surrounding towns because there’s real travel gaps for people that used to ride old service frequently.

I would also like to see more park and rides. We’re a very car centric city but get people to realize how convenient and easy it is to take the bus.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I love talking to people on the bus, you meet wonderful people and it builds camaraderie in your community. 

It’s also not as expensive as owning a car. Driving could be an option but the expense of a vehicle is insane. So I always ask myself, “Do I really need a car to go 2 miles to work?” 

Generally, I have been so happy to see improvements and I know it’s only going to get better.