As of last Friday, Skidmore found out that route 452, which serves Skidmore and Downtown Saratoga, will be having some changes made to it. I will be discussing these changes so students, and the community, can better understand how they will be affected.
As of right now, the Skidmore Bus system has a continuous schedule and does the same loop every time. But, with Flex, it changes to an on demand service. Rather than having a strict bus schedule, you can download the Navigator app or call (518) 482-8822 and book your ride. On the app you choose a location and drop off, and a bus will be sent on your way. In the past, the FLEX system has had some unreliability, with wait times getting more than 30 minutes. But, after talking with the CDTA, they assured that wait times will not exceed 30 minutes. So, it is kind of like uber, you can request a ride and they will show up. This system applies to Sunday through Wednesday, and Thursday-Saturday during the day, but these three days will also have the normal late night schedule.
However, there are some grand changes that come with the flex system. Capacity on these buses, which are really vans, can hold only 10 people, 8 if someone has a wheelchair. In addition, the radius of the bus loop is now only 3 miles, excluding the Wilton mall. We are hoping that there will be changes made to include Wilton in this map.Â
The flex system is good right now, but it has the potential to be great. If we incorporate the wilton mall into this, truly ensure that wait times don’t exceed more than 30 minutes, and ensure that the CDTA has proper communication, then the system would be great. The CDTA didn’t notify Skidmore of these drastic bus changes until last friday, when the plan was in the works for at least a year. If this communication was met and handled, there wouldn’t be such stress and fear from the Skidmore body. This affects everyone, staff, skidmore students, the seniors at the Embury apartments, and more.Â