Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority
| Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (Regional Transit Service) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Slogan | Enjoy the Ride |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Headquarters | Rochester, New York |
| Chief Executive Officer | Bill Carpenter |
The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) is a public benefit organization headquartered in Rochester, New York providing transportation services for the eight counties in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. The counties receiving service include Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. RGRTA was formed on August 1, 1970 by a state government act creating three similar agencies for Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse.
On August 18, 2014, the authority refreshed their branding with a new, unified logo, and having all bus subsidiaries operate under a consistent "RTS" banner, with the county of the service following. The Lift-Line subsidiary was rebranded as RTS-Access.
The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority is governed by a fourteen member Board of Commissioners. The board is comprised of four members representing Monroe County, three of the City of Rochester, one representing each of Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, and a non-voting member of the ATU Local 282.
History
- 1969: Statewide legislation creates the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority. The city of Rochester transfers ownership of assets to the RGRTA, with the RGRTA creating the subsidiary Regional Transit Service.
- 1971: Rochester's first park-and-ride service begins at Suburban Plaza in Henrietta. Batavia Bus Service (BBS) joins the authority.
- 1980: Wayne Area Transportation Service (WATS) joins the authority.
- 1985: Lift Line para-transit subsidiary created.
- 1986: Livingston Area Transportation Service (LATS) joins the authority.
- 1993: Wyoming Transit Service (WYTS) joins the authority.
- 2003: Orleans Transit Service (OTS) joins the authority.
- 2004: Seneca Transit Service (STS) joins the authority.
- 2006: "One Fare-One Zone" fare structure debuts, and tokens are history. In addition, the Freedom Pass debuts.
- 2008: Regional Transit Service lowers their boarding fare to $1.00, per boarding.
- 2009: Regional Transit Service adopts a bus naming program, in which new buses are named after selected employees children or grandchildren.
- 2014: Ontario county County Area Transit Service joins the authority from a county service contracted out to MV Transportation. RGRTA remains in name, but all services adopt the Regional Transit Service (RTS) name. A new logo is also added for a consistent branding. In November, the RTS Transit Center opens in Downtown Rochester, removing Main Street (between St. Paul and Clinton Sts.) as the official transfer point between buses.
- 2015: Following the change of rural services to the RTS banner, route numbers are moved to a more cohesive layout, keeping individual agencies in a unique numbering range.
- 2021: In May, RTS Monroe implements a reset of transit services, creating a class system of services based on type of service offered; Local, Frequent, Commuter, Suburban, Crosstown, Seasonal, and On Demand (dial-a-ride). Also, route numbers are rationalized into an easier to understand format, and routes are streamlined to be straighter, and with less turns. In September (one week after the Fall schedule change), service is cut on most frequent routes from 15 to 30 minute intervals. RTS used the saving in operating the service to supplement school services, due to Rochester Public Schools failing to maintain a minimum number of bus drivers. RTS expects the service reduction to frequent service to be temporary.
Source(s): [1]
Regional Transit Service
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Being the largest subsidiary of RGRTA, Regional Transit Service (RTS Monroe) provides transportation services for Rochester and Monroe County, New York. It was created in place of the Rochester Transit Corporation (RTC) and the services that the city took over from the RTC after announcing bankruptcy.
Branding
- Regional Transit Service (RTS) operates under nine individual brands, using the Regional Transit Service banner; RTS Monroe, RTS Genesee, RTS Livington, RTS Ontario, RTS Orleans, RTS Seneca, RTS Wayne and RTS Wyoming. RTS Access serves Monroe County as the complementary paratransit provider.
- In May, 2021 (originally May, 2017), RTS brought a number of new brands under the RTS Monroe banner; RTS Connect will cover all local and frequent bus transit operations, while RTS On-Demand will cover all dial-a-ride services within Monroe County, using smaller cutaway style vans in low ridership areas. In addition to the RTS Connect brand, the services of that banner will classify as frequent (every 15 minutes), local (every 30 minutes), suburban, cross-town, seasonal and commuter. A final use of the brand called Neighborhood Direct begins use on September 6, 2021, and operates weekdays, serving four major high schools in the city of Rochester.
Bus Routes
All buses (unless noted) operate from the RTS Transit Center located north of Main Street between Clinton and St Paul Streets in Downtown Rochester, since November 28, 2014.
On January 2, 2017, Regional Transit Service spun off their "Limited" services and renamed them as "Roc-It" (a play on the word "rocket") routes, stressing faster trip times, making limited stops along the route.[2] With this change, the new routes have separate schedules from the regular service. Services will be discontinued, beginning May 17, 2021.
On June 26, 2017, RTS Genesee and RTS Wyoming switched to a new route numbering system to identify its routes. It is the first step in creating connectivity between the RTS agencies, with integrated services between Attica and Batavia, and Arcade and Batavia. Other regional subsidiaries will experience changes in the fall schedule change of 2017.
On July 31, 2017, RTS Ontario and RTS Seneca saw changes in route numbers to their present route structure, to be in line with other peer agencies move to regionalize the RTS route structure. In addition, lower Seneca County service to Ovid is discontinued. As of January 30, 2025, a single round-trip has been added Mondays and Thursdays between the County Office Building, Ovid, and Waterlooon a new route 283..
On September 5, 2017, RTS Orleans and RTS Wayne had changes in route numbers and new routes to their present system. RTS Orleans reinstated past service from Albion into Batavia, in addition to new service to Lyndonville. RTS Wayne implemented new services from Newark to Geneva, and Newark to Canandaigua.
On May 17, 2021, RTS Monroe went through a sweeping change in transit services, resulting a new route numbering scheme, implementation of different classifications of service and changes to frequencies and routes in service. The change arrived later than anticipated, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
For the list of active routes, please visit here
For the list of former routes, please visit here
Active Fleet
At the present time, RGRTA utilizes approximately 220 transit buses from the following manufacturers: Gillig and New Flyer Industries. In late-2019, the Nova Bus brand rejoined their fleet, although with their LFS model, instead of the Classic. All buses currently in service are equipped ADA accessible with low floors and wheelchair ramps.
Many of the buses did not follow a typical numbering scheme, however, buses in the 300-series are generally 60-ft buses, and later model 40-ft (1200-, 1300-, 1400-, 1600- and 1800-series) buses' first two digits typically point to the the last two digits of the build year.
| Fleet Number(s) |
Thumbnail | Build Date |
Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 371-390 | 2013 | NFI | XD60 | Cummins ISL9 | Allison B500R | ||
| 901-921 | 2011 | Gillig | Low Floor 40' (G27D102N4) |
Cummins ISL9 | Allison B400R | ||
| 1291-1295 | 2012 | NFI | XD40 | Cummins ISL9 | Allison B400R |
| |
| 1301-1333 | 2013 | NFI | XD40 | Cummins ISL9 | Allison B400R |
| |
| 1401-1419 | 2014 | NFI | XD40 | Cummins ISL9 | Allison B400R |
| |
| 1601-1621 | 2016 | NFI | XD40 | Cummins ISL9 | Allison B400R |
| |
| 1801-1815 | 2018 | NFI | XD40 | Cummins L9 | TBD |
| |
| 1901-1910 | 2019 | Nova Bus | LFS | Cummins L9 |
| ||
| 2001-2010 | 2020 | New Flyer | XE40 |
| |||
| 2201-2210 | 2022 | New Flyer | XE40 |
| |||
| 2221-2247 | 2022 | Nova Bus | LFS | Cummins L9 | |||
| 2301-2309 | 2023 | Nova Bus | LFS | Cummins L9 | |||
| 2401-2403 | 2024 | New Flyer | XHE40 |
|
Retired Fleet
This section is incomplete, you can help!
RTS Regional and other subsidiaries
RTS Access
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RTS Access (formerly LiftLine) is the provider of paratransit services of the RGRTA. RTS Access operates with smaller, cutaway style buses.
LiftLine was created in 1985, and presently operates 46 buses.
Fares
RTS Access operates with a distance-based fare structure, unlike its peer subsidiaries, which charge a flat fee.
| Distance | Fare charged |
|---|---|
| 1 mile (or less) from origin | $1.50 |
| 1-3 miles | $1.75 |
| 3-20 miles | $2.00 |
| over 20 miles | $4.00 |
| same-day service | $6.00 (plus distance charges) |
| supplemental-area service | $6.00 (plus distance charges) |
All-time roster
| Fleet Number(s) |
Thumbnail | VIN | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | VIN | License Plate | Status/Disposal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 811-812, 814-824 830-834 |
2008 | Ford
|
E-350
|
||||||||
| 9303, 9307,
9314 |
2013 | Ford
Coach and Equipment |
E-350
Phoenix |
||||||||
| 9813, 9818 9827-9829 |
2008 | Ford
|
E-350
|
9818:1FD3E35PX8DB56326
9827:1FD3E35P08DB56335 |
Retired. | ||||||
| 9900-9901, 9904-9905, 9908, 9910-9911, 9913-9915, 9917 |
2009 | Ford
|
E-350
|
9904:1FDEE35P69DA80890
9910:1FDEE35P79DA80896 9914:1FDEE35P59DA80900 |
Retired. |
|
RTS Genesee
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RTS Genesee (previously Batavia Bus Service or B-Line) services the city of Batavia and select parts of Genesee County, New York.
Batavia Bus Service joined RGRTA in 1971, and presently operates 10 buses.
Effective June 26, 2017, RTS-Genesee began using a route numbering scheme for its routes. See the RTS route list for details.
All-time roster
| Fleet Number(s) |
Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | VIN | License Plate | Status/Disposal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9930-9934 | 2009 | Ford | E-450 |
9930:1FDFE45P19DA24804 9944:1FDFE45PX9DA29676 9945:1FDFE45P19DA29677 9947:1FDFE45P59DA29679 9933:1FDFE45P79DA24807 9934:1FDFE45P79DA24808 |
Retired. |
RTS Livingston
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RTS Livingston (previously Livingston Area Transportation Service) services Livingston County, New York.
LATS joined RGRTA in 1986, and presently operates 24 buses.
Bus Routes
| Route | Terminals | Map | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dansville | Caledonia | |
| 2 | Mt. Morris Perry |
Dansville | |
| 3 | Mt. Morris | Dansville | |
| 4 | Geneseo | Dansville | |
| 5 | Avon Loop | ||
| 6 | Avon | Dansville | |
| SUNY Geneseo | |||
All-time roster
| Fleet Number(s) |
Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | VIN | License Plate | Status/Disposal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1058 | 2010 | IC Bus | ||||||||
| 9939 | 2009 | Ford | E-450 |
RTS Ontario
RTS Ontario (previously Ontario County Area Transit System, or "CATS") services the cities of Canandaigua and Geneva, and surrounding Ontario County, New York. Services prior to August 18, 2017 were operated by MV Transportation for Ontario County.[7]
Ontario County Area Transit System joined RGRTA on August 1, 2014. The service operates approximately 38 buses.
Effective July 31, 2017, RTS-Ontario will begin using a new route numbering scheme for its routes. See the RTS route list for details.
Former bus routes
| Route | Terminals | Map | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Geneva | |||
| 2 Canandaigua | |||
| 3 Canandaigua-Victor | Canandaigua | Victor | |
| 4 Canandaigua-Geneva via 5 & 20 |
Canandaigua | Geneva | |
| 5 Canandaigua-Geneva via 21 & 96 |
Canandaigua | Geneva | |
| 6 Flex Canandaigua-Naples | Canandaigua | Naples | |
Connections to other agencies
RTS Ontario connects to the following agencies: RTS Seneca, Yates Transit Service, Greyhound and Trailways of New York at Geneva Transfer Center; and RTS Monroe at Eastview Mall.
Bus Fleet
| Fleet Number(s) |
Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | VIN | License Plate | Status/Disposal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1606, 1615, 1618-1619, 1622, 1625-1626, 1628, 1630 | 2016 | Ford
? |
E-450
? |
1606:1FDFE4FS0GDC32009 |
In process of retiring. | |||||
| 9932 | ||||||||||
| 9965, 9974 | 2009 | Ford
|
E-450
? |
9965: 1FDFE45P49DA03171
9974: 1FDFE45P29DA18625 |
Retired. |
RTS Orleans
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RTS Orleans (previously Orleans Transit Service) services Orleans County, New York.
Orleans Transit Service was established in 2003, and presently operates with six buses.
Effective September 5, RTS Orleans will introduce new services and route numbers on their routes.
Former bus routes
| Route | Terminals | serving | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albion-Medina | Walmart (Albion) | Walmart (Medina) | shuttle service between Albion and Medina via NY 31 | |
| Albion Loop | circulator route within Albion | |||
| Medina Loop | circulator route within Medina | |||
| Albion-Barre-Elba-Batavia | shuttle service to Batavia, connecting with B-Line bus service | |||
| Medina-Albion-Holley-Clarendon-Brockport | shuttle service to Brockport, connecting to RTS service to Rochester | |||
| Brockport | circulator route within Brockport, service also operated nights and weekends for SUNY Brockport students during academic year. | |||
All-time roster
| Fleet Number(s) |
Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | VIN | License Plate | Status/Disposal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 302, 305 | 2003 | Ford
|
E-450
|
Retired | ||||||
| 507 | 2005 | Ford
|
E-450
|
Retired | ||||||
| R1607-R1612 | 2016 | Ford
? |
E-450
? |
Ford
V10 6.8L Triton |
R1607: 1FDFE4FS3GDC30738 |
Retired | ||||
| 9918-9922 | 2009 | Ford
|
E-450
|
Ford
V8 6.0L Powerstroke (International) |
9918: 1FDFE45P59DA24787 |
Retired |
RTS Seneca
.PNG)
RTS Seneca (previously Seneca Transit Service) services the city of Geneva and Seneca County, New York.
Seneca Transit Service was established in 2004 and presently operates with 10 buses.
Effective July 31, 2017, RTS-Seneca will begin using a new route numbering scheme for its routes. See the RTS route list for details.
Former bus routes
| Route | Terminals | Map | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Seneca Falls Loop | |||
| 4 Waterloo/Geneva | |||
| 5 North County/South County | |||
All-time roster
| Fleet Number(s) |
Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | VIN | License Plate | Status/Disposal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9923-9924, 9927-9929, 9943, 9946, 9952 |
2009 | Ford
? |
E-450
? |
#9923:1FDFE45PX9DA29659
#9924:1FDFE45P69DA29660 #9927:1FDFE45P89DA29661 #9928:1FDFE45P39DA29664 #9929:1FDFE45P59DA29665 #9943:1FDFE45P89DA29675 #9946:1FDFE45P39DA29678 #9952:1FDFE45P79DA88247 |
Retired |
RTS Wayne
.PNG)
RTS Wayne (previously Wayne Area Transportation Service) services Wayne County, New York.
Wayne Area Transportation Service joined RGRTA in 1980, and presently operates with 38 buses.
Effective September 5, 2017, RTS Wayne implemented new routes and route numbers on their services. See the RTS Route list for details.
All-time roster
| Fleet Number(s) |
Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | VIN | License Plate | Status/Disposal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 314 | 2004 | International
|
3200
|
International VT 365 6.4L V8 Diesel |
Allison 2000 | Retired | ||||
| 316 | 2004 | Ford
? |
E-450
? |
316:1FDXE45F934B23107 | Retired | |||||
| 322 | 2004 | International
|
3200
|
International VT 365 6.4L V8 Diesel |
Allison 2000 | Retired | ||||
| 531 | 200? | International
|
3200
|
International VT 365 6.4L V8 Diesel |
Allison 2000 | Retired | ||||
| 803 | 2008 | International
|
3200
|
International VT 365 6.4L V8 Diesel |
Allison 2000 | 803:1HVBTSKM88H676795 | Retired | |||
| 1060 | 2010 | IC Bus | ||||||||
| 9202 | 2002 | Ford
? |
E350
? |
Ford V8 6.0 liter Powerstroke | 9202:1FTSS34F22HA11962 | Retired | ||||
| 9804 | 2008 | International
|
3200
|
International VT 365 6.4L V8 Diesel |
Allison 2000 | 9804:1HVBTSKMX8H676796 | Retired | |||
| 9808, 9810 | 2008 | Ford
? |
E350
? |
Ford V8 6.0 liter Powerstroke | 9808:1FD3E35S68DB56344
9810:1FD3E35SX8DB56346 |
Retired | ||||
| 9944-9945 9947 |
2009 | Ford
? |
E-450
? |
9944:1FDFE45PX9DA29676
9945:1FDFE45P19DA29677 9947:1FDFE45P59DA29679 |
Retired |
RTS Wyoming
.PNG)
RTS Wyoming (previously Wyoming Transportation Service) services Wyoming County, New York.
Wyoming Transit Service was established in 1993, and presently operates with 21 buses.
Effective June 26, 2017, RTS-Wyoming began using a route numbering scheme for its routes. See the RTS route list for details.
All-time roster
| Fleet Number(s) |
Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | VIN | License Plate | Status/Disposal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 616-617 | 2006 | Ford
? |
E450
? |
Ford
V8 6.0 liter |
Retired | |||||
| 806 | 2008 | Ford
? |
E450
? |
Ford
V8 6.0 liter |
Retired | |||||
| 9950-9951, 9954, 9956 |
2009 | Ford
? |
E450
? |
Ford
V8 6.0 liter |
9956: 1FDFE45P99DA88251 | Retired |
Support Fleet
| Number(s) | Thumbnail | Vehicle | Body | Fuel | Engine |
|---|
Properties
RTS Transit Center
- Mortimer Street, between St. Paul St. and N. Clinton Av., Rochester NY, 14604
- Entrances:
- 60 St. Paul St., Rochester, NY 14604
- 71 N. Clinton Av., Rochester, NY 14604
- RTS operates out of a number of strategically located transit centers throughout the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Its largest and busiest transit center named the RTS Transit Center, is located in Downtown Rochester on Mortimer Street (between North Clinton Avenue and St Paul Street, and is the starting point for all RTS Monroe public transportation services. In addition to being the connecting point for all routes in the RTS Monroe network, it offers its visitors ticket vending machines, an attended customer information desk with schedules and maps, and public restroom facilities. Its 30 bus bays can accommodate up to 100 buses an hour.
- During the first year of opening, the RGRTA was honored with eight awards pertaining to the RTS Transit Center; three awards by the American Public Works Association, two by the American Institute of Architects, two by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America and one by the Rochester Builders Exchange (its Craftsmanship Award for the Terrazzo floor, by Bergmann Associates).
Bus Depot and RTS Office Complex
- 1372 East Main Street
Rochester, NY 14609
External links
References
- ↑ RTS History Timeline
- ↑ Regional Transit Service - ROC-it Routes
- ↑ Awarding a Contract for the Purchase of 11 – 40’ Transit Buses, Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority. Dated January 7, 2016, retrieved on April, 2016.
- ↑ Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners - March 2, 2017 (PDF pgs. 71-72), Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority. Retrieved on June 2017.
- ↑ RGRTA 2020 NFI XE40 order
- ↑ 2023 ENC Axess BRT order
- ↑ Finger Lakes Times, Ontario County puts RTS in driver’s seat, Mike Hibbard, August 31, 2014.
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