CDTA to Cut Trips and Run Times After a Series of Budget Cuts

By Eva Patterson | April 6, 2026

A CDTA bus collecting students at Collins Circle.  Photo Credit: Eva Patterson / The ASP

The Capital District Transit Authority (CDTA) is planning to shift multiple bus routes, including cutting early-morning and late-night trips from its schedule, beginning May 24. Not only bus commuter students, but also students living on campus at the University at Albany may be affected by this, as many use the 12, 114 and 910 bus routes to travel in the area for work, shopping and recreational activities.

The CDTA Board of Directors gathered in a meeting on March 25 to discuss the plan for the 2027 fiscal year.  

The budget is experiencing a 2.4% reduction resulting from increasing expenses and a decrease in funding from the end of financial assistance granted due to COVID-19. CDTA is anticipating a $3.5 million decrease in revenue for the year, according to the CDTA Board of Directors agenda. 

The agenda also stated that for the 12 and 910 bus routes, changes are to be made cutting early-morning trips. 

Weekday 5:30 a.m. and Saturday 5:55 a.m. eastbound trips will be cut from the 12 schedule, and weekday 4:24 a.m. eastbound trips will be cut from the 910 schedule. Other routes in the area will be cut as well, mainly in the early morning and at night. 

With this change, UAlbany students who use the CDTA buses may struggle with traveling around the city. 

UAlbany junior Lance Motlagh, who often takes the bus to get back and forth between campus and his workplace, is one of them.

“The late-night bus trip cuts may be debilitating for me and other people who have closing shifts at jobs, especially those that may have to close at work at night. That may leave them stranded and possibly have to spend money on Ubers,” Motlagh said. “I already have a hard time getting back here. If I close late at night, it can take up to 20 minutes for a bus to show up.” 

With the recent rise in gas prices, commuter students that drive can empathize with bus commuters. 

When asked about her thoughts on the trip cuts amid the gas crisis, Isabella Coye, a UAlbany sophomore commuter student, said, “to be fair with you, I’m in a good place financially so gas prices aren’t taking as large of a hit on me as they would other commuter students that have to commute more than me.” 

Coye, who drives to and from campus two days a week, also added that she does not understand why bus trips would be cut in the middle of what she described as an economic crisis. 

CDTA cutting trips due to budget cuts and lack of assistance demonstrates how the current economic situation affects more people and communities each day, potentially impacting students who commute to the university.