Ulster County Area Transit and the Ulster County Transportation Council want public feedback on two potential scenarios for how transit service, including routes, schedules and services, could change in Ulster County. The public can review the plans and offer feedback via an online “Maptionnaire” tool through Dec. 20.

The plans are result of a year-long Route Optimization Plan process that has sought extensive public input. The project team used public feedback to develop two draft scenarios for how transit service could change in Ulster County.

“We have gotten great input from residents throughout this process, and we're now in the final stretch and seeking feedback on these two potential scenarios,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “I encourage residents to take a few moments to check out the Maptionnaire Survey for the Optimization Plan and help us make our public transit system the best it can be.”

The Optimization Plan seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of UCAT by determining how bus routes can be organized to minimize travel time and delays. The plan also aligns with the county's goal of fully electrifying its bus fleet by 2035.

In addition to public input, the project team is analyzing data on demographics, travel patterns, market analysis and service route performance. The project team will use the results of the public survey to further refine the service improvements and develop a final plan prior to implementation.

The Maptionnaire survey is available at https://app.maptionnaire.com/q/ucat-rop. For more information on the UCAT Route Optimization Plan, visit the Participate Ulster website at https://participate.ulstercountyny.gov/ucat-route-plan.

“This planning effort represents a fantastic opportunity for the public to have their say on how their bus system can be improved so it works better for them,” said Brian Slack, UCTC Principal Transportation Planner. “We had some great conversations at our Nov. 13th meetings, with more than 60 people joining us in person and online. We look forward to assessing everyone's comments, including riders and non-riders, and coming back with some new and improved route scenarios for the public to review.”