For many in our community, public transportation serves as a vital connection to get to their jobs and the services they need for a good quality of life.
If you’re interested in using public transit to get around Rochester, see below for a collection of local transit tools & resources.
In 2014, Americans took a record 10.8 billion trips on public transportation—the highest annual ridership number in 58 years.1
People are choosing to use public transit for a variety of reasons; it’s convenient, less expensive than driving, and it’s better for our health and the environment.
And let’s not forget, over 25% of households in the city of Rochester don’t have access to a car. So for many of us, transit is the only way we can get our jobs, the grocery store, doctor appointments, or to visit family & friends.
with one less car
Households that use public transportation and live with one less car can save on average $9,162 annually.2
If you drive to work alone each day, your fixed costs (including fuel, maintenance, parking and depreciation) can exceed $1 per mile.3
Comparatively, a trip on RTS costs one buck.
It’s pretty clear that public transit can save us some green in our wallets. But driving less can also ease our impact on the planet, and that’s pretty green too.
Rochesterians all together drive over 10,907,000 miles a day.4 Now take a deep breath… That’s 3,781,271,334 pounds of CO2 pumped into our air each year.5
And all of that motoring around burns up 236+ MILLION gallons of gas each year6 or roughly 11,804,779 barrels of oil7; More than the U.S. imports from Kazakhstan, Egypt, China and UAE combined.8
To report an issue with RTS service or bus stops, please call RTS customer service at (585) 288-1700. To report issues with pedestrian infrastructure, see our Local Resources for Walking. If you are not getting a satisfactory response, let us know. We may be able to help.
TIP #1: Plan Your Trip
The key to any successful trip is to make plans before you leave. Get detailed transit directions at www.Google.com/transit or download the RTS app (Android | Apple iOS).
TIP #2: Prepare Your Fare
It helps to have your fare ready so you’re not fumbling for change at the farebox. RTS fareboxes accept coins and 1, 5, 10 & 20 dollar bills. Change is provided in the form of a Stored Value Pass (they never expire).
If desired, you can buy an All-Day Freedom Pass on the bus. Just tell the bus driver PRIOR to placing your money in the fare box.
You can also order fare cards online or by calling 585-288-1700.
Regular Fares:
TIP #3: Track Your Bus
Download the RTS Mobile App or visit Where’s My Bus to track your bus.
OR…
TEXT your bus stop ID number* to (585) 351-2878 or
EMAIL your bus stop ID number* (in the subject line) to WMB@RGRTA.COM
Within seconds you’ll receive the next three bus arrival times.
*The bus stop ID will be a 4-digit number in the upper left or lower right corner of the bus stop sign.
TIP #4: RTS Customer Service
If you still have questions or need further assistance, contact RTS Customer Service at(585) 288-1700 or TTY (585) 654-0210.
- American Public Transit Association
- American Public Transit Association
- CommuteSolutions.org, Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission: The True Cost of Driving Online Calculator
- 2010 Urban Mobility Report: Data for Rochester NY
- Green Progress: Carbon Footprint Calculator
- Estimated by Reconnect Rochester based on average fuel economy of 21.5mpg and Vehicle Miles Traveled data collected from ‘2010 Urban Mobility Report: Data for Rochester NY’ and ‘Transportation Conformity Statement for the Long Range Transportation Plan for the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region 2035 and 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program’
- U.S. Energy Information Administration
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: U.S. Imports by Country of Origin