Bus service adjustments in NY: Ulster alters some bus routes due to passenger surge and steward installation
The Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) bus service is set to undergo significant changes starting Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 5 a.m., as part of an ongoing Route Optimization Plan. These modifications aim to improve efficiency, reduce delays, and better meet community needs.
UCAT Director Toni Roser has stated that the strategic adjustments are about strengthening system reliability, supporting drivers, and improving the experience for riders. The changes reflect input from riders, operators, and community partners and represent the first phase in a broader effort to optimize UCAT service.
Here are the specific changes by route and service type:
- X Route and College Loop (CL): The X Route and CL Route will see additional service with five extra trips per day to Newburgh and 6.5 more trips daily between New Paltz and Kingston, enhancing connectivity among these areas.
- EU Route and E Route: The existing EU Route between Ellenville and Kingston will be reconfigured and renamed the E Route. This change replaces a single 10-hour shift with two 8-hour shifts (E AM and E PM) for better efficiency. The College Loop will connect with the E Route to shorten travel times to Ellenville and improve access for rural riders.
- Yellow and T Routes: These two routes in Kingston will be merged to serve both the Kingston Inn and the City of Kingston comprehensively. Port Ewen service will be transferred to the KPL Route with transfers available at Garraghan Drive and Development Court.
- KPL, UPL, and CL Routes: New Paltz-area service shifts will now be served by the KPL, UPL, and CL Routes, all operating with fixed schedules to provide more reliable arrival and departure times. Consequently, the NPL Route will be discontinued.
- Paratransit Service: UCAT will expand its ADA paratransit capacity by increasing the number of vehicles from three to five daily, improving responsiveness to ride requests for riders with disabilities.
- Additional Notes: The central bus hub is relocating from Kingston Plaza to Development Court in the Town of Ulster as part of the system changes, impacting how transfers and route integrations occur.
Additionally, Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger announced that all but one full-time driver position in UCAT is now filled. Once staffing changes are in place, all weekday routes will be staffed by full-time drivers. Two bus stewards will begin riding buses on key routes to assist passengers and support drivers.
The Route Optimization Plan is ongoing, being conducted in partnership with the Ulster County Transportation Council, and public input shapes how transit service could evolve. More information on the Route Optimization Plan can be found at participate.ulstercountyny.gov/ucat-route-plan.
On Sept. 10, only the service changes previously mentioned will take place, and no other routes or schedules will be impacted. The upcoming service changes aim to reduce driver fatigue and enhance coverage by aligning routes with standard 8-hour shifts. The changes are aimed at making transit more reliable, efficient, and responsive to community needs.
- In partnership with the Ulster County Transportation Council, the Route Optimization Plan, which aims to make transit more reliable, efficient, and responsive to community needs, is ongoing, with the bus service industry placing emphasis on strengthening system reliability, supporting drivers, and improving the rider experience.
- The changes in the UCAT service, such as the addition of five extra trips per day to Newburgh on the X Route and CL Route, the reconfiguration and renaming of the EU Route to the E Route with two 8-hour shifts for better efficiency, and the merge of the Yellow and T Routes to serve Kingston comprehensively, all reflect a broader effort in the transportation industry and finance to optimize UCAT service.
