A new bus route to Strong Memorial Hospital began running on September 2nd, creating a more sustainable commute for URMC staff members living in Southeast Rochester.
The route is called Bus 52-Park Ave to URMC and is an efficient 30 minutes long. It originates at the East Ave Wegmans, stops at Park Ave, Goodman Street, and Elmwood Ave, and concludes at the Medical Center. The service allows employees to avoid the environmental cost of a car ride, while also reducing wear and tear on vehicles and the stress of driving. To see the full schedule of the new route, click here.
URMC is making the integration of the route convenient and hassle-free for staff members. The bus ride is an inexpensive $1 to begin with, but URMC gave out 100 free bus passes to parking permit holders as an incentive to explore the new option. Another possibility available to previous parking permit holders is to switch to the Occasional Parker Program, which allows them to park on campus 26 individual times rather than paying for a full-time permit. Therefore, they can take the bus regularly but still have the freedom to drive when needed.
The route was established by the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RTS) in collaboration with the University of Rochester. It is the first public bus route planned by University leaders and RTS officials, and the partnership proved to be conducive to assessing the needs of the University of Rochester community and establishing an effective solution. At the launch of the route, RTS Chief Executive Officer Bill Carpenter shared, “We’ve taken great care to partner with the University of Rochester in customizing Route 52, making sure it caters to the needs of University employees living in the area. It’s the first public route we’ve ever planned right alongside UR leaders. Our key goals were to make it easy and affordable for staff to get to work safely—and on time.”
Officials at the University of Rochester are enthusiastic about the partnership as well. Hugh Kierig, the Director of Parking and Transportation at the University of Rochester said, “In launching this new bus route, we want to recognize the partnership between the University and RTS—this could not have been accomplished without their assistance and it’s a partnership we value.” With both parties benefitting from this new partnership, hopefully it will continue to be a source of beneficial and sustainable transportation developments long into the future.
In addition to the new route, RTS has many new and exciting initiatives in store for Rochester citizens. For example, RTS is currently considering constructing heated bus shelters around URMC, in locations such as Elmwood Ave and Mount Hope Ave. This would make waiting for the bus pleasant and enjoyable for patrons, especially throughout Rochester’s long winters.
Until then, Bus-52 is up and running. Although this transportation service is primarily intended for URMC staff, students and the general public can take advantage of the route as well and make their daily travels more environmentally friendly.