Campaign Details:

The Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak station is a vital part of our regional transportation system. The 8th busiest Amtrak station had 800,000 riders in 2023, with 13 round trips to NYC, 3 trips to Buffalo and Niagara Falls, and 1 daily long distance trip between Chicago and Boston. 

The station's robust ridership is despite a suboptimal location and inadequate transit access. Currently only two local bus routes serve the Amtrak station: CDTA 114 and 214.

While the 114 operates every 20 minutes from 6AM to 9PM, it drops to hourly and every two hours on Saturdays and Sundays respectively, rendering it almost useless.

The 214 operates approximately every 40-75 minutes weekdays and weekends, but only serves downtown Albany, making it an impracticable option for most of the city's residents.

This infrequent and limited coverage transit service means most people drive to the station and pay for parking, or lacking access to a vehicle, take rideshare or taxis. This additional expense adds to the already high cost of traveling by train, harming regional transportation for the Capital Region. 

While many wish the station could be moved back to downtown Albany, this is not a realistic proposition. Increasing bus service to the station is the most feasible option to increase regional mobility and make our community a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable city.

If you believe our prized train station deserves better transit access, please sign and share this petition. Our ideas for improvements are listed below. Please comment and add your suggestions for how Albany could improve transit access to the Amtrak station; we value your input!

Ideas for Improved Transit Access:

●     Increased weekend service on route 114

Increasing service on this route would also add much needed transit service to busy Madison Ave, which runs through dense vibrant neighborhoods.

●     Extend Purple Line BRT (910) to Rensselaer

Expanding the Purple Line BRT route has been listed as a potential option for adding service to the Amtrak station in CDTA planning documents. This route would provide a frequent and fast direct link between UAlbany and the Amtrak station, as well as the transit friendly walkable neighborhoods of Center Square and Pine Hills.

●     Extend 214 from downtown to serve more neighborhoods 

●     Expand other routes to the station, providing greater coverage for Albany and the Capital Region with more 1 trip rides to the train station

●     Other suggestions to improve service to Amtrak station?