The end of the express bus service downtown 🚌

The end of August marks the end of the Route 519 bus service downtown, except for one run leaving Voorheesville at 7 AM and departing downtown at 4:15 PM. I have ridden that bus for decades, and while it was paused during the pandemic, I was mostly working from home during that time period. Service levels have fluctuated over the years, and while this service always was a money loser for authority often requiring double-digit dollar subsidies by the Authority, they always had at least some service from the Park and Ride that got you in before 9 AM and left downtown at 5 PM.

Things have changed over the years. Some long-time riders tossed in their hat during the pandemic in favor of retirement. Many others either started to work remote or hybrid, where they would ride part time. Demand for service beyond the Park and Ride always was light, especially for the later trips. But the bus still had a loyal following, though rarely was it packed. I started to ride a lot less when I mountain bike, which I prefer to take to work on nice days. It takes about as much time to ride back and forth as the shuttle bus plus the transfer to express bus, but I get exercise and fresh air that I don’t have to do later in the day.

Damn, I liked taking the Express Bus, especially now that I work in the suburban office 9 to 5 pm. It was a good option for me, though occasionally in the evenings I would miss the shuttle transfer to the express, and be forced to take the local, sometimes missing the earlier local too. But it was fine, I would walk laps on the Plaza and if I got home late, whatever, as usually it was bitterly cold or wet days that I wasn’t riding the bus. Now I got to figure out what is next for me – do I move somewhere closer to work, do I take the local bus and transfer the shuttle to work, do I drive in more? Or do I just take that really early express bus in and walk laps in Plaza – as days I’m not riding – are likely shit weather for riding or biking after hours.

Truth is I don’t like the alternative of driving to work, even with the suburban office with acres of parking. It might be the fastest way to get to and from work, but as I was riding express bus in this morning, traffic sucks. Not only do you have cops at every street corner taking pictures and monitoring your speed, you have to pay attention to traffic and hope nobody bumps you from the rear-end. The roads are icy-salt encrusted hell holes all winter long. I think one of reasons I’ve resisted moving is the convenience of being able to bus it to work over the past two decades.

Maybe I should seriously consider moving to Menands or North Albany, where I could either walk or take a quick bus trip to work. Truth is I don’t want to move to city though. I like Delmar. It’s going to be such an enormous pain to be taking the local bus back and forth downtown and transferring to the shuttle, even if it doesn’t add all that much more time to my commute. Or maybe it’s the sign I should look harder for a house or homestead – land out in country rather then stay put in my dilapidated apartment. I can still ride in most days through the autumn, both directions, but come time change, I’ll need the bus to get home. And even that’s going to be difficult with the local schedule and reduced service of recent years.