ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Big changes are coming to how people catch the bus in the Rochester area. Starting next Monday, Regional Transit Service will launch its new routes.

What You Need To Know

  • Changes to the new bus system takes place May 17

  • Some bus stops will be eliminated, and on demand service will start for customers

  • The new routes will make the bus system more efficient and faster for customers

For one Rochester man, the change will require him to walk a half-mile to and from work to the closest bus stop.

“It’s wrong transit, you’re wrong for doing this, I catch the bus every day you know, I depend on the bus to get to work until I get myself established, get me a driver’s licenses, get me a car,” said Brent James, an employee at Wegmans Distribution Center on Brooks Avenue.

Bus service will not end completely, but there will be a major shift in bus routes and stops with the hope of providing more efficient service. James is upset about the changes because he currently catches the bus from the Wegmans Distribution Center, but it’s slated to be cut. 

“That bus stop has been there forever, as long as Wegmans has been existing, that bus stop has been there, for you to cut the bus for us, that’s not fair,” said James.

Wegmans released this statement on the matter:

“We very recently learned the RTS stop in front of our building is being eliminated as part of the redesign RTS is rolling out on May 17. We are communicating with our employees who are impacted by this change, and discussing what options may be available.”

Regional Transit Service tells Spectrum News the Brooks Avenue stop at the distribution center will not be the only stop disappearing. It’s just one of many throughout the entire bus system.

“We are changing all of the routes, they’re all changing in some way, shape or form, and for the better," said Tom Brede, RTS public information officer. "Right now we don’t have consistent frequency amongst all of our routes. Right now there are routes that do certain things on some trips and they do different things on other trips.”

The entire project has been in the works since 2017 when the bus service started researching and getting feedback from riders about the bus service. The new system was approved in 2019 with plans to take effect last June, but the pandemic delayed the change.

“The way the new system is going to work is we’re going to have 30 routes, 10 routes are going to be very frequent, they’re going to run every 15 minutes Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Every 30 minutes on the other times," said Brede. "We’ll have 20 routes that are going to run every 30 minutes, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Every hour the rest of the time.”

Reimagine RTS will include on-demand service for some areas, so people will be able to schedule a ride to and from their destination. 

“For some customers in the community, which is about 5% of our current customers right now, they’re going to need to use that RTS On Demand service to either start or end their trips, and the way that’ll work is they can schedule up to 12 hours in advance, or they can schedule it on-demand right when they need it,” Brede said.

As of now, the Brooks Avenue area will not have on-demand service because more transportation funding is needed from the state and federal government.

“I find that absurd and ridiculous that they’re doing this to people that go to work,” said James.

“The vast majority of our customers, 90% or more, they’re only going to experience greater frequency and a better system, and an easier system to use, are there some people who it’s going to feel really different, it’s going to feel awkward, yes, and that’s the nature of change,” Brede added.

RTS is urging people to research and find their new route ahead of the change next Monday.

The bus system says people can call the customer service team for help on preparing for the upcoming changes.

You can reach customer service by calling 585-288-1700. RTS expanded its customer service team hours to 5 a.m. to midnight, 7-days a week until May 30 for the transit overhaul.