Getting around a largely rural county like Columbia is a quandary. Public transit is solid and reliable where it exists, but it isn’t found everywhere.
That’s why we think New Lebanon Town Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling, Canaan Town Supervisor Brenda Adams and Chatham Town Supervisor Donal Collins are on the right track with their proposal of a shuttle-bus system to boost public transit in outlying but attractive portions of the county.
The three supervisors want to create a bus-van route that goes through New Lebanon to Canaan to Chatham and ends in Hudson, Houghtling said Tuesday. With a system in place, residents can go shopping or make doctor appointments and then get back on the shuttle to return to their starting point.
Houghtling said they are willing to listen to other proposals that will provide access to the northwestern corner of the county.
A plan of action to achieve the goal of public transportation linking the three towns needs to be formulated and a funding source must be tapped. As Houghtling pointed out, “Our county residents pay the same amount of taxes as all the residents, and yet there’s a service that’s being funded through county taxes that isn’t accessible.”
If you decide to travel to Chatham, Canaan or New Lebanon for business or pleasure, shopping or just to soak in the area’s natural beauty, you might think it’s worth taking a bus instead of paying big money for gas. Today is the right day to get started on a shuttle-bus plan.