POUGHKEEPSIE – Funding to operate the Poughkeepsie bus system runs
out on June 30 as Mayor Robert Rolison continued to lobby to transfer
the city’s bus service over to Dutchess County’s LOOP system.
The common council has yet to take action on it one way or another, but
on Wednesday night, lawmakers are poised to appropriate money to continue
the city service through the end of the year.
Council Chairwoman Natasha Cherry said $203,800 has been identified as
overestimated funding for city employee health benefits and that could
be used to keep the buses running for the second half of 2017.
Cherry said that should give the council time to review options, which
could include eliminating routes that duplicate county ones.
“Maybe we can build up our inner-city transit lines and negotiate
with the county that maybe they pick up all out-of-city lines and routes.
Maybe we can reduce our fixed line routes that we have now maybe go down
to three or four solid lines. Our primary focus is to make sure that our
level of service increases as well as being financially self-sufficient,”
she said.
Cherry said to fund the buses for the remainder of the year will “buy
time” for the council to explore alternatives other than turning
the entire system over to Dutchess County Government.
