OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Mobility Management Department announced today that it bought seven buses from Chenango County and is taking steps to acquire another seven vehicles for its fleet in the coming months. Both purchases are funded through Federal Transit Administration grants.
“We’re thrilled to add new buses to the Oswego County Public Transit (OPT) system,” said Oswego County Legislator Mary Ellen Chesbro, District 10, chairwoman of the Legislature’s Economic Development and Planning Committee. “This move to build up our inventory will help support riders and drivers and expand transportation services for residents.”
Oswego County Director of Mobility Management Heather Snow added, “Increasing our fleet is necessary, as the demand for public transportation has grown rapidly over the past year. Since we launched the ‘Ride Oswego County’ app last fall, we have seen a 40% increase in ridership. We now provide 1,500 trips per week for our residents, and the numbers keep growing!”
The “Ride Oswego County” app allows riders to easily find and plan transportation routes and connects them to the best transit service for their needs. Users can track their bus in real time, get step-by-step directions to their bus stop, and receive important announcements about their route.
The app also provides Mobility Management with valuable data to ensure transportation needs in Oswego County are being met.
The move to secure seven buses from Chenango County, together with the plan to add another seven vehicles, is all possible thanks to a waiver the department received from New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), which allows it to add smaller vehicles to its service.
“We’re very excited to add these 14 new vehicles to our stock,” said Snow. “Three of these buses will replace older vehicles – improving transit reliability – and the other four are expansion vehicles, or smaller transportation options.
“Traditional buses have 16, 22 or 32 seats, but these expansion vehicles will carry just 8 to 14 passengers, making them perfect for event shuttles, on-demand ride services and more,” she said. “Stay tuned for updates as we continue to grow our services!”
To download the app, search “Ride Oswego County” on the app store of your mobile device or go to the Apple App Store or Google Play.
To learn more about the Oswego County Mobility Management Department and its services, call 315-746-4220 or visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/oswegocountymm.
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