Free busing now available for summer students

Summer students will be able to ride public transportation for free as part of the latest expansion announced in Hudson Valley’s relationship with the Capital District Transportation Authority.

“It just makes sense. Some students can get a full semester done during the summer,” said Ann Carrozza, director of the Faculty Student Association, about free summer ridership, which was included in a renegotiation of the CDTA contract last December.

“The growth including the summer students makes a lot of sense. We’re very supportive of it,” said Jonathan Scherzer, marketing director for CDTA.

The three-year contract came with a fee increase, but according to Carrozza, summer course ridership, advocated by Joel Fatato, vice president of Finance, was placed into the deal for no additional cost this year.

The press release on hvcc.edu regarding free busing for summer students was posted on Mar. 24, following registration for summer courses opening on Mar. 17. “We’ve been working really hard on the new student orientation model, and that’s consumed a lot of our time. I would’ve liked to have announced it sooner, but I always thought maybe it could be more timely to get some news coverage when students could register for the summer [courses],” said Dennis Kennedy, executive director of Communications and Marketing, about the announcement. Last week, in conjunction with the announcement, CDTA travel trainers were seated in the campus center to provide information about student ridership.

“Hudson Valley has become one of our largest clients rather quickly,” said Scherzer. Last year, 377,698 students rode on CDTA. According to the FSA, the number of students who rode CDTA  saved a combined $423,685 by riding for free.

Hudson Valley is currently one of 11 colleges in the area to have CDTA free ridership, which started in fall 2013. “I’ve been absolutely thrilled with the response from the students [of Hudson Valley],” said Scherzer.

“It enables a student to do what they need to do to go to work or whatever and be able to come here, so I think it’s a very positive thing for the students,” Carozza said.