Sheila Drew says she has commuted on both county and city buses, and she has a clear favorite: the city buses. Drew says she feels more comfortable with city bus drivers, saying they arrive on the hour.
But Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison vetoed a city bus service extension Wednesday, so two systems will combine into one county system.
Those who are in favor of one county system say the city buses can't survive long-term financially when the city is more than $12.5 million in debt. Those in favor of keeping the city bus system, like Drew, point to funds that could be reallocated to the city's transit system.
Another concern is about routes. Some city council members assure they are trying to plan a route system that will be more efficient with later service hours and adding Sunday routes. Drew, though, is afraid the city's three buses that would stop at her senior citizen center will be cut down, and take longer time to get to her and bring her to where she needs to go.
The Poughkeepsie city buses will run through Friday, then it's only county buses on the road starting Saturday, July 1.