I'd like to find someone to date on some sort of dating app, but I've realized that I CDTA anymore. (Can't Date Tinder A**holes). It's been a long long time since I first rode the Albany bus system. I was barely 16 years old and over here in the US on my own, without my parents' knowledge, traveling around the East Coast. I had just hopped off a Greyhound from Montreal, and I was touring the NY State Capital on foot and by bus. Those were good times. I put myself through a lot of strain and physical exertion to see so much of the country, but it was worth it. I remember it very fondly. My experiences on CDTA then, and since, were mostly positive. Some of the drivers are unfriendly. Some of the routes stop running way too early. And some of the buses are a little old and in need of a facelift. But on the whole it's good, and not too expensive (lasy time I rode it anyway, and before), so a solid 4 from me. I'd rather ride a train, but I C.D.T.A. = Can't Do Trains Anyway. read more

Capital District Transportation Authority - Buses stopping in front of the Capitol to take all of the humiliated former senators back to there palatial homes - Public Transportation Near Me - Rensselaer, New York

10 years ago I got rid of my car. Not because I had to, but because the expense and time involved in car ownership was something I found obnoxious. Way more obnoxious than walking and riding buses. Since I still haven't replaced my car, I guess that was true. People expect a lot from Albany's public transportation, especially those who don't use it regularly. While I take buses multiple times a week, the loudest complaints I hear are from those who take the bus maybe once a year, if that. For an area the size of Albany, CDTA is more than enough. For an area the size of the entire Capital District, it is only adequate That said, CDTA has tried very hard over the past decade to make good improvements. Many of these have been excellent, like expanded routes, shuttles, bike racks, hybrid buses... A few have sucked, like getting rid of transfers and increasing the cost of rides, but those were necessary financial decisions. The only real complaint I have is when they recently decreased service to several areas and merged other routes, effectively making some areas of Albany all but inaccessible to me on weekends. Overall, I think that CDTA does a mostly good job. They run mostly on time and the majority of their drivers are inoffensive, if not friendly and/or polite. They do exactly what they promise - transport large numbers of people over distances too far to walk. That said, how much can you complain or extol when it comes to the only available option in the area? read more

With all the marijuana I've smelled on certain buses that have stopped at Washington and Lark since I moved to the neighborhood last summer, I didn't think anything of bringing an upright dolly on board last night to return to its U-Haul this morning. And, last night at West Gate Plaza, neither did the driver on the 1. Easy-breezy. But this morning between 7:00am and 7:12am, when I asked the driver of the 12 - with barely anyone on the bus - a question about the bus' route, he made sure to tell me - more than once as if I was trying to argue when I hadn't said anything at all - that I couldn't bring the dolly on "the bus". He drove off, and I called CDTA to verify. When Wanda picked up on the other end and listened to my complaint - which included my "shoulda, coulda, woulda" that I obviously needed follow through on instead assuming that bringing the dolly on the bus would against CDTA procedure - I was told that what I experienced was up to the driver's discretion (which explains why I've smelled so much weed on certain buses). When I focused on the ineffective communication, all Wanda could say was "that's how he said it". When the 1 pulled up to the stop a few minutes later - with plenty of passengers, making my dolly look like it'd take up too much space, I was let on without question. So, a few take-aways: 1) Boarding certain CDTA buses with drug-free substances is up to the driver's discretion.. 2) Boarding certain CDTA buses with drugs is up to the driver's discretion. 3) Wanda is happy to verify the spelling of her name, for yelping purposes, if you ask. 4) Ineffective communication is seemingly welcomed at CDTA, specifically for those seeking bus driver positions. The CDTA operators will be happy to support them instead of supporting the riders who give enough business to CDTA make their employment possible. read more

I had to use public transportation for a few days while my vehicle was being serviced. The Pro... 1) Most drivers are friendly enough and willing to answer a few questions for bus virgins such as myself. So long as I kept it brief. 2) If you go to the CDTA website you can put in your starting point and destination and get a somewhat accurate planner. They list where and what time to pick up the bus, the bus number, and the time it will take you to reach your destination. The cons... ... 1) It takes forever to get anywhere. Each route always has some strange side route that takes forever. A destination that would normally take 5 minutes to drive drags out to half an hour to 45 minutes. 2) Most routes don't stop in or anywhere near major shopping plazas. For example: If you want to go to the East Greenbush shopping center which has a Target, Walmart, and a movie theater as well as several places to eat and numerous places to shop... the bus stops at a Park-n-Ride lot which is a 15 to 20 minute walk just to the entrance to this mega shopping center. The same applies if you're trying to get to any major shopping center or plaza. This makes no sense. read more

Fast. Friendly. Reliable. Frequent. Extensive. For what its worth, the CDTA as a system, can really get a person around the capital district. Yes like any transit system the CDTA has its faults. I have yet to see another city though the size of the capital area that services neighborhoods so frequently, usually on time and is as high tech as they are. Buses are usually almost always clean, I can always find a seat and their is always ample room to put my bike. Of course more suburban and rural areas get less service, in the city pockets CDTA is more than enough. With my student pass I don't even have to pay for the transit. I don't think enough people utilize the CDTA which is a shame because so many people depend on the CDTA and quite frankly it can save people headaches of having to drive everyone and clog up the roads. my only real complaint is no chargers or wifi on the buses. But with almost 60+ routes its really hard to find a lot of faults with a system that doesn't have to be as robust but really gets the job done at the end of the day. I think people need to realize that in terms of New York State, the CDTA is one of the best systems in the state outside Nassau County and Westchester/Yonkers. So putting it into perspective, the bus system could be a LOT worse. So count your blessings people! read more

I had a mind to go to the mall in Wilton. I also wanted to go the YMCA in Saratoga but new I didn't have enough daylight for both. Since Wilton is not as healthy for the soul as the YMCA is I made my decision and took of by bike (trying to use less fuel these days) and worked out. Leaving the YMCA, I noticed a bus saying WILTON on it. Throwing caution to the wind and with a spirit of adventure I boarded. The young man that was driving (a huge black fellow that was incredibly polite) showed my the ins and outs of putting a bike on the bus. Your adventurous author pulled out some cash to feed the machine (I was shocked to find out it only costs $1!) and sat down. Yes there were some painted passengers (tattoos), and even some people who didn't look exactly like me. None of them paid me the least bit of attention. In all it was the most pleasant and relaxing bus ride of my life. Yes I was enjoying the stimulating effects of doing something out of the ordinary, but it was real easy to get to the Wilton mall. Your author is a man who likes a bit of change. I accept the high gas prices as a necessary part of the plan to get me and my fellow countrymen the fuck away from using oil. The higher the gas prices go the happier I am because I know that it will make people drive less, and think about alternatives. I've been riding my bike more than ever and I feel great. I ride to the grocery store and I have cut out junk food because I can only afford food that I need to live, and Im on my bike and don't want to carry it back. I'm driving less and slower in an attempt to save money but Im also using less fuel than before and thats a good thing. Please beloved reader know that my mind is with you if it's a financial hardship for your family, but consider how good a life without some of this extra shit can be. Whats really important is our family and friends, this change in the economy and fuel prices could be a signal to make life better. read more

Edit: Not sure why it says I'm from San Fransisco, but trust me, I'm from Troy, NY. Pros: I've been riding CDTA regularly for several years now in the Troy area. As with any half decent reviews, I'll start with the good things. 1) The amount of buses and routes are abundant, so if you have absolutely no other options then you'll have no trouble getting to where you need to go. 2) The Navigator system is excellent and far more reliable than the previous bus passes. 3) Riding is great... In moderation. Back when I only needed to take the bus once a month, everything was fine. It's when I started taking it daily that I ran into the many problems. Cons: Since "everything" would be a disingenuous and vague review, let's break down all of the issues I've had since I started riding daily a little over a year ago. 1) CDTA buses are habitually late regardless of weather and/or traffic conditions. It can be a bright sunny morning with no traffic, no road work, and not a hint of precipitation and the only thing certain about your CDTA ride is that the bus will be anywhere from 3 to 15 whole minutes late, assuming it even shows up at all. Which leads me to my next con. 2) Buses will often take alternative routes with no indication, which means that if you're unlucky enough, you'll be standing at a stop waiting for a bus that never comes. I've been there, and it's awful. Furthermore, occasionally drivers will completely skip certain stops with no warning. I don't mean they'll see you waiting and keep going, I mean they just won't even pass by the stop. You can triple check the route listings all you want, but it matters not for the esteemed bus drivers of the CDTA. 3) Other passengers are rude at best and obnoxiously loud at worst. I get it; the bus isn't the place to make new friends, so I'm not expecting a smile and a handshake from everyone else riding with me. What I do expect, however, is some common decency that many bus riders in my area lack in abundance. For example, another passenger once sat directly on my backpack- filled with expensive textbooks and my $400+ laptop- that I had in the seat next to me. Instead of doing the logical thing and apologizing for sitting on both my bag and the arm I had resting atop it, they gave me a dirty look, demanded I move the bag, and proceeded to call me a "white piece of shit" when she thought I couldn't hear her. I would have happily moved the bag with a little bit of politeness, but I guess she wanted to be as rude and racist as possible to really drive the point home. Not to mention all of the other people crowding around in the rest of the seats having conversations at roughly the volume of ten-thousand shotguns all going off at once; you're sure to hate everyone around you in no time. 4) The drivers are the worst people in existence. To be fair, I've only had a handful of problems with drivers, but they're pretty big effin' problems. Just today in fact, I had an issue with the driver of the 85 who was working at the time. After the bus came to a full stop, I stood up, put on my backpack and went to get off only to have the bus door slammed in my face. I called out to the bus driver and he responded by chastising me for "taking all day" before opening the door. So I guess the lesson to take here is that if you're not off the bus in a nanosecond, get ready for the drivers to give you a hard time. God forbid you make them even more late than they already always are. And as someone who's worked a customer service job for three years straight, I get it; some customers just irritate the bejeezus out of you... But you have no choice but to suck it up and move on, and if you can't- I'm talking specifically to you now, Mr. 85 Bus Driver working between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM on November 13th, 2019- then you need to get your ass off the bus and get someone who can. To sum it all up, CDTA is fine in moderation, but if you have to take it every single day you're going to find yourself so miserable that jumping in front of the bus will seem just as- if not more- appealing than getting on and riding it. Once I have my own car, I will never be using CDTA again. read more

Those bus drivers are the best I seen, the day pass is really worth it, and made my stay in Albany enjoyable. Outside the city other than busplus service get reduced but the demand warrant that frequancy, so overall 5 stars read more