Rochester, NY is a bustling city with various transportation options for its residents and visitors. Whether you prefer public transportation, walking, cycling, or ride-sharing services, there are alternative ways to get around the city. In this article, we will explore these transportation alternatives and their benefits.
1. What Are the Public Transportation Options in Rochester?
When it comes to public transportation in Rochester, residents have access to a reliable bus system operated by the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA). The bus routes cover a wide area, making it convenient for commuters to travel within the city and surrounding areas. Additionally, RGRTA offers paratransit services for individuals with disabilities, ensuring inclusivity in transportation options.
Riding public transportation not only reduces individual carbon footprints but also helps alleviate traffic congestion in urban areas. By taking the bus, commuters can avoid the stress of driving in heavy traffic and save on parking expenses. Public transportation is a cost-effective and sustainable way to travel in and around Rochester.
Additionally, you’ll likely end up walking part of your route, which is extremely beneficial to your health! According to the CDC, even a modest weight loss of 5% to 10% of your total body weight is likely to produce health benefits, such as improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugars. Choosing public transportation over driving can contribute to a more active lifestyle and improve overall health.
2. How Does Cycling Contribute to Transportation in Rochester?
Cycling is a popular mode of transportation in Rochester, especially during the warmer months. The city has multiple bike lanes and paths, making it safe and accessible for cyclists to commute to work or explore the city. Many residents opt for cycling as a form of exercise and an environmentally friendly way to get around.
In addition to being a sustainable transportation option, cycling promotes physical activity and reduces traffic congestion on the roads. By choosing to bike instead of drive, individuals can reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a cleaner environment. Cycling is a fun and efficient way to travel in Rochester.
According to the CDC, over 130,000 U.S. bicyclists are injured in crashes annually. To ensure safety while cycling in Rochester, it is important for riders to wear helmets, obey traffic laws, and ride defensively. By following these precautions, cyclists can enjoy the benefits of biking while minimizing the risk of accidents.
3. What Ride-Sharing Services Are Available in Rochester?
Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft are popular options for transportation in Rochester. These services provide convenience and flexibility for users to request rides at any time of day. Whether you need a ride to the airport, a night out in the city, or a quick trip to the grocery store, ride-sharing apps make it easy to get around Rochester.
Ride-sharing is a cost-effective alternative to owning a car, especially for individuals who do not require regular access to a vehicle. By sharing rides with others, passengers can split the cost of transportation and reduce their overall expenses. Ride-sharing services offer a convenient and efficient way to travel in Rochester.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, driving while impaired refers to operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, which is defined as having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08%. Ride-sharing services provide a safe and responsible option for individuals who may be unable to drive due to impairment. By using ride-sharing apps, passengers can avoid the dangers of driving under the influence.
In conclusion, Rochester, NY offers a variety of transportation alternatives for residents and visitors alike. Whether you prefer taking the bus, cycling, or using ride-sharing services, there are options to suit your needs. By considering these alternative modes of transportation, you can reduce your carbon footprint, promote a healthier lifestyle, and contribute to a more sustainable city.
If you live in Rochester or have recently moved to the area, then you may notice that the vehicles on the road vary in age, with some being older and some being new, but not brand new. This is because Rochesterians are known for taking good care of their vehicles so that they can last and they can get the most out of them over time. According to Porch Group Media, the average length of owning new and used vehicles has increased by 60% in the last 10 years. Below are ways they maintain their vehicles and you should, also, for best performance.
Rochester, New York, is a beautiful city with a very rich cultural heritage and many interesting and fun attractions. Exploring a new city can be challenging, though, especially for individuals with disabilities.
To create a better experience for people with disabilities when they are visiting Rochester, check out the tips for people with disabilities exploring Rochester, NY below.
Since a car is an expensive investment, it’s important to take the best care of it that you possibly can. Here are tips to help you do this and get the best service out of your car in Rochester for a good part of its lifespan.
You may be thinking about skipping out on that oil change or getting those brakes checked, but you should not. You should never skip out on your scheduled car maintenance in Rochester. The fact is, having reliable transportation in Rochester is a must, and skipping out on maintenance puts that reliability at risk. All the vehicles in the United States, including Rochester, travel trillions, yes trillions of miles, every single month. The reliability of your vehicle to take you the miles you need to go is directly related to how well you maintain your vehicle.
Rochester is no different than any other city in the U.S. when it comes to pedestrian safety. Pedestrian safety is given a high priority position in Rochester to help protect citizens. The Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP, see below for more information) is an NYS DOT plan to improve pedestrian safety on Long Island and Upstate, which includes some changes in Rochester. What can you do both as a motorist and as a pedestrian to improve pedestrian safety in and around the City of Rochester?
According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHSA), there are approximately 1.5 million deer-related car accidents annually, leading to 175 to 200 fatalities each year. Of course, this number pales in comparison to the number of human pedestrians killed in traffic accidents each year (4,700), but in certain areas of the country, deer collisions are a real threat.
As much as Rochester residents have grown used to rough winters, colder weather can nonetheless be rough on all of us. It’s become particularly difficult to prepare for winter snowstorms due to the yearly fluctuations in temperatures, making them harder to predict. In this past season, the wintertime has already been expensive due to regular costs. Usually, you can expect to have about 42% of your utility bill made up through heating, though these costs can of course rise during particularly harsh winters. However, the seasonal costs will only rise due to the recent snowstorm. Many of them will be associated with damage done at home, and will, therefore, be taken care of by individual homeowners by and large. A big concern, according to a consumer survey, will be roofing — 65% of homeowners reported that this was their major concern following weather damage, and a snowstorm can certainly do a good bit of damage to a typical roof.
Day by day, technology grows. Back in 2016, there were over 3.5 billion internet users. Over just three years, that number has increased to 4.33 billion. Not only is technological growth shown in internet usage, but in vehicles as well. In recent years, more and more consumer electric vehicles have been introduced and developed. With more than two dozen models now commercially available, some 800,000 Americans have made the switch to driving electric. These unique vehicles will supposedly help reduce fossil fuel consumption and curb carbon emissions over time. Keep in mind, if you plan on going off-roading, you’re going to need certain tires. There are four main types of off-road tires: all-terrain, mud-terrain, snow/winter, and sand. However, is this really the case? What are the benefits of driving electric? Like any vehicle choice, electric cars come with a series of pros and cons.
People of color in central New York aren’t getting a fair number of jobs in the construction industry, a local study finds. According to a new study by the Urban Jobs Task Force and the Legal Services of Central New York, there’s a major racial disparity in the New York construction industry despite people of color making up a quarter of the state population.
Many of you have noticed our extended hiatus and have begun asking if this is the end for RocSubway. I didn’t think it would be necessary to say anything about it. But for those of you who had followed this blog like religion for so long, you deserve some closure.
A little while ago I lost my job and decided to start my own web design business instead of going back to work for someone else. That was the best decision I ever made for myself. But it also means I now work pretty much nonstop with little time for anything else. What extra time I do have, I put into growing Reconnect Rochester . Reconnect is a nonprofit organization doing amazing work to change the way transportation is viewed in Monroe County. It’s something I’m very proud of. And it began with a seed planted right here.
So I’m not going away, really. I just won’t be posting much here for the foreseeable future. In the meantime you’re welcome to join me over at Reconnect . Or perhaps I’ll run into you somewhere else, helping to make our community better in your own way.
Before I sign off, I want to say thank you.
I’ve gained much more from every RocSubway reader I’ve met (virtually and in person) than what I’ve given on these pages. Always remember there are important lessons for the future buried deep within our past. Everywhere you look in this city—behind every wall and within every person—you will find a beautiful story. We’ve only scraped the surface.
On a recent trip to New York City (my previous home) I came across a poem in the subway by former U.S. Poet Laureate, Billy Collins. I cannot think of better words to close with…
As you fly swiftly underground
with a song in your ears
or lost in the maze of a book,
remember the ones who descended here
into the mire of bedrock
to bore a hole through this granite,
to clear a passage for you
where there was only darkness and stone.
Remember as you come up into the light.
Gilbert Hunt was a trolley and bus operator for Rochester Transit Corporation (the predecessor organization of RTS) from 1907 to 1948. When Gilbert retired in 1948 the Democrat & Chronicle published a story about him and his impressive collection of Rochester transit passes which he amassed over his long career. That collection is now up for grabs…
As some of you may have heard, bike share is coming to Rochester. I’ve considered writing about it all sorts of ways. I thought about mentioning how many other cities have it. Or how safe it is. Or even the specific plans for Rochester (warning: PDF). As you may have already guessed, I’m not about to do any of that. Instead, I’d like to discuss what bike share has meant for me over the past decade, and what it might mean for you too.
I don’t know of anyone in the world who loves parking—except maybe Lorraine Baines—but that’s not exactly the kind of parking I’m talking about here…
I’m talking about the hassle of cruising up and down the rows of a Wegmans parking lot, trying to squeeze in next to the hummer who decided he needed an extra couple of spaces, fighting the nine other drivers who won’t even entertain the thought of walking an extra twenty feet to pay $5 for a bottle of water.
When Andrea Chervenak received a letter earlier this year from the Town of Irondequoit notifying her that a sidewalk was being proposed for her street, she was thrilled. Unfortunately for Andrea, her neighbors’ front lawns are more important than her children’s safety. To hammer this nonsensical point home, some people even made lawn signs…
RG&E’s Beebee power plant was one of the most formidable structures in Rochester. For half a century, this cluster of buildings covered an 8 acre site along the floor of the High Falls gorge – climbing up the west rock wall and looming hundreds of feet in the air over Platt Street and the neighborhood below…
Do me a favor. If you’re at home, step outside for a moment and take a good, long look at your driveway and garage (Don’t worry, the Internet will still be here when you get back). If you don’t have a driveway or garage, step outside and catch me a Charmander!
Did you do it? Did you stare intently at your driveway/garage situation? Great! Now, think about it for a moment and answer honestly: Does your car have a bigger bedroom than you do? Seriously. What percentage of the space that you own/rent/occupy is dedicated solely to vehicular storage? Your car isn’t paying rent. Why does it get the biggest room in the house?!
What else could you do with that space the garage sits on? A jam space for your band? Art studio? Game room? Greenhouse? The possibilities are many…
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After the Erie Canal was rerouted south of downtown Rochester, the Rochester
Industrial & Rapid Transit Railway (the “subway”) was built in
its place as a link between the five different railroads and interurban trolley
lines that served the Rochester area. As the industrial landscape of Rochester
changed, and highways replaced the railroads, the Rochester subway gradually
became a relic of a bygone era. In 1956 the subway was abandoned and much of
its route was converted into Interstate 490 — built to connect Rochester
with the New York State Thruway (I-90). Read more about the history of the Rochester Subway.
RochesterSubway.com exists to help spark
public dialogue around how we can better connect the neighborhoods of Rochester
NY, surrounding communities, and their cultural offerings. Rochester’s
future is written in her past. Let's rediscover it.
![Subway Poem [IMAGE: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/subway-poem.jpg)
![Gilbert Hunt was a trolley and bus operator with Rochester Transit Corporation for 40 years. His collection of transit passes is up for grabs. [IMAGE: From the collection of Gilbert Hunt]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/Gilbert-Hunt-1948-02-22_D&C.jpg)
![Map of potential bike share stations [PHOTO: Zagster]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Bike_share_map.jpg)
![For Park(ing) Day is tomorrow. [IMAGE: Provided]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/parking-day-2016-01.jpg)
![Some neighbors who live along this road in Irondequoit would like sidewalks. Others would not. [IMAGE: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/no-sidewalk-sign-01.jpg)
![RG&E Beebee power station prior to demolition. Rochester, NY. Summer 2016. [IMAGE: Anonymous]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-rge-beebee-station-00.jpg)
![For Park(ing) Day this year, some folks want to turn a downtown parking lot into a public art gallery space. They are asking for submissions of visual art, in any form, showing how you would transform one unused place in the city of Rochester. [IMAGE: Provided]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/parking-day-2016-request-for-art-01.jpg)
![Midtown Plaza Under Construction [PHOTO: Buffalo Courier-Express 6/4/1961]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Midtown_Under_Construction.jpg)
![Cobbs Hill Aerial [PHOTO: City Hall Photo Lab contemporary collection]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Cobbs_Hill_Aerial.jpg)
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