Dutchess County Bus Routes To Change In 2024

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — Changes to the Dutchess County Public Transit bus routes will be taking effect in 2024.

Officials said the route changes will make it easier for riders to navigate the system, expand service on the busiest routes and streamline service in underutilized areas to improve efficiency.

The changes, which will go into effect March 30, are part of the 2024 county budget adopted Thursday by the Dutchess County Legislature and will provide more than $265,000 in annual savings to the county.

Public information meetings have been scheduled to begin outreach. They will continue over the next several months to inform riders and the community about the changes.

The meeting schedule is:

• Dec. 11, 4 p.m.: Millbrook Library, 3 Friendly Lane, Millbrook
• Dec. 12, noon: Poughkeepsie Galleria Community Room, 2001 South Road, Poughkeepsie
• Dec. 12, 6 p.m.: Poughkeepsie Galleria Community Room, 2001 South Road, Poughkeepsie
• Dec. 14, 6 p.m.: Rhinebeck Town Hall, 80 East Market St., Rhinebeck

Passengers attending the meetings may ride for free, officials said. They just need to inform the bus driver of their destination upon boarding.

The bus system is projected to serve more than 780,000 riders in 2023, up nearly 16 percent over 2022.

The route changes will enable the system to continue to expand its ridership and are the first significant changes since 2017 when the county expanded service to include the city of Poughkeepsie routes.

Service enhancements will include new hourly service on the A and B routes, which are the system’s most popular routes, and new or expanded service to employers including the Amazon facility and iPark in East Fishkill as well as the new Dutchess Community College Fishkill campus.

Fixed route service in underutilized areas will be eliminated, enabling driver and vehicle resources to be re-deployed to add service where ridership is growing.

View the presentation here for more information.