Schenectady Unveils First-Ever Gateway Mobility Hub
SCHENECTADY — Schenectady celebrated the grand opening of the Gateway Mobility Hub, marking a significant milestone as the Capital Region’s first one-stop shop for public transportation needs.
The state-of-the-art hub, located on lower State Street, is designed to accommodate 10 Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) transit routes, including the Red Line BRT that connects downtown Schenectady to downtown Albany.
In addition to providing seamless access to public transportation, the Gateway Plaza Park transit hub also offers car sharing options and CDPHP Cycle! Bikes, making it a versatile and convenient transportation center for the community.
CDTA CEO Carm Basile expressed his excitement about the new hub, stating, “It’s very unique. What we’re trying to do is develop these things that are scaled to the community. This [hub] is not very big or elaborate. It’s a lot of common-sense things that comes together that accommodates all of our vehicles, up to 10 at one time. Bikes and cars are here, and there’s an attractive area for people to wait for buses. It upgrades that whole experience.”
The station was purchased by Schenectady County Metroplex from Adirondack Transit for $285,000, with federal funding utilized for the renovations to the site, which is located in the shadow of SUNY Schenectady.
At a ribbon-cutting event on Tuesday morning, CDTA buses lined State State, with commuters streaming off buses into downtown Schenectady or making connections to an adjoining bus line.
“From here if you take a bus in and you need access to a bike or maybe a vehicle, you have that here,” Metroplex Development Authority Executive Director David Hogenkamp said on Tuesday.
The hub is not only a transportation center but also a symbol of progress and development for the city. The former Trailways bus station, which became obsolete due to the digital age, has now been transformed into a vibrant greenspace and a gathering area outside of nearby college housing.
“Over the past seven, eight years, we’ve been able to pull this whole area together and improve bus access to the mobility hub and expand this park to be used by students and residents,” Hogenkamp said. “It’s been a drastic improvement to the Lower State Street neighborhood.”
Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy emphasized the positive impact of the new transit hub on the city, stating, “The connectivity that this location now provides adds value to the [Rivers] casino, and it adds value to living in the housing here and adds value to the businesses that are here.”
Schenectady County Legislator Gary Hughes credited the project to a partnership between the city, county, CDTA, and the federal government, highlighting the collaborative effort that led to the successful completion of the Gateway Mobility Hub.
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