NY: Jefferson County-wide bus service set for July launch

The countywide bus service for Jefferson County is set to hit the roads in early July.

Four routes will take passengers all throughout the county. The bus service is preparing to launch on July 7.

“We’re in the final stages of refining the routes and evaluating ridership needs,” said County Legislator Christopher S. Boulio, who represents the towns of Adams, Lorraine, Rodman, Worth and parts of Hounsfield.

Boulio said they will remain “flexible” with the routes to ensure that all customers are taken care of.

Buses were delivered in early March.

The main challenge, Boulio said, is driver staffing.

“We’re actively recruiting to ensure full service at launch day,” he said.

The northern route will go to Gouverneur and connect with St. Lawrence County Public Transit. The southern route’s primary location will be the village of Adams. Clayton and Carthage will also have routes.

Jefferson County Administrator Ryan M. Piche said it is a “hub and spoke” operation, meaning all of the routes will come back to Watertown.

A task force was put together that included Lewis County Public Transportation, St. Lawrence County Public Transit, and CitiBus. CitiBus will continue to provide local stops in the city of Watertown.

The Jefferson County network will have stops at Salmon Run Mall and BOCES on Route 3 in the town of Watertown, but CitiBus will be the provider inside the city.

Boulio said they will be partnering with the Volunteer Transportation Center to get people in remote areas to bus stops.

The county is also working with major employers to ensure that the needs of workers are met.

“We have many of our routes around those shifts,” Boulio said. “Early morning so they can be in Watertown by 7 (a.m.) and of course at 3 (p.m.) when they get done. And then we’ll have routes that accommodate night shifts, and some of these as late as 9:30 to 10 at night.”

The county has received the six buses. Piche said the county has contracted The Arc Jefferson-St. Lawrence to operate the buses.

“Those drivers will be employees of The Arc,” Piche said.

Boulio said that Lewis County “has set the standard.”

“We want to accommodate Fort Drum, we want to connect with St. Lawrence and Oswego County and we want to give the rural people some more mobility, and it’s time Jefferson County got on board,” Boulio said.

Piche said they want to ensure residents have access to healthcare, to employment opportunities, and to education.

“These are all things that the county government and the people of the community are already paying for, and if we’re paying for them and people don’t have full access, then we’re not maximizing our potential,” he said.

There is no impact on the county’s budget as it is covered from state funding, federal funding, advertising and fares.

“It’s a budget-neutral program,” Piche said. “It makes a ton of sense that we step up and make sure that our residents have equal access to all the opportunities that are available in Jefferson County.”

Fares will cost $2. Piche said some community organizations and large employers will pay for the ridership for their employees.

Originally, the buses were set to hit the road in May, but a couple of hiccups, including a recall on the buses, have pushed the official start day to July 7.

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