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| Riders, meet your drivers, and all the folks behind him at CDTA's Fall Festival, October 15. |
Last year, the Capital District Transportation Authority hosted a record-number of riders--17 million. Next week, they'll show you the people and facilities behind all those rides.
CDTA is hosting its Fall Festival at their Albany headquarters, Thursday, October 15 from 10am-1pm, with entertainment, food, and the opportunity to meet the staff members who keep this transportation system running.
"Our organization really succeeds on the strength of our customers, partners and employees," says Jonathan Scherzer, CDTA Marketing Director. "We were brainstorming ways to show how much we appreciate all the assistance we get from our community, and we decided that opening our doors to the public was the best way."
"People rarely get to see the faces that make us go and we are proud of our facilities so it really gives a good look at who we are and what we do in a way that most people don’t get to see often," Scherzer says.
The event will include cider, cider donuts, hayrides, pumpkin carving, live music, a bounce house, and exotic bird performances.
Scherzer says CDTA takes its role as community ambassadors seriously. The event will also include presence from local community organizations. The Albany Police Department will be on hand with the mobile command center. The Albany Fire Department pumper truck, and Sheriff Apple’s Anti-Heroin bus along with child safety seat demonstrations. The New York State Police are bringing their dive tank for exhibitions and Albany County will be offering flu shots.
CDTA has lined up over 200 kids from local schools to attend, and hope the public will also join them and take the opportunity to learn more about CDTA's service.
In April, CDTA announced that it had a second consecutive year of record ridership. For the 2015 fiscal year, CDTA's total boarding count increased by 3% to surpass 17 million rides for the first time in its 45-year history.
"We just want people to enjoy some local entertainment, get educated on some services and highlight the great work of our employees," Scherzer says. "Our buses have never looked better, our facilities are first rate but many people don’t make it down the hill to see what goes into providing 17 million trips each year."
Goals for the event? "Smiling faces, live music, pumpkin carving and buses? Sounds like our kind of show!
The Fall Festival will take place Thursday, October 15 from 10am-1pm at its headquarters at 110 Watervliet Avenue in Albany.
