RTS Eliminates On Demand Service in Monroe County Due to Cost and Efficiency Concerns
Regional Transit Service (RTS) in Rochester, NY, has announced several service changes, notably eliminating the RTS On Demand service in Monroe County due to high costs, inefficiency, unreliability, and low customer usage.
Rochester, NY, November 4, 2026 —
Regional Transit Service (RTS) in Rochester, New York, has announced the discontinuation of its RTS On Demand service operating within Monroe County. The decision, made by the transit authority, is attributed to a combination of factors including high operational costs, observed inefficiency, issues with reliability, and notably, low customer usage.
RTS On Demand was introduced as a flexible transit option designed to serve areas where fixed-route services might be less frequent or accessible. However, according to RTS, the service has not met expectations regarding its economic viability and operational effectiveness. The transit authority cited these persistent challenges as the primary drivers for its elimination.
The elimination of RTS On Demand is part of broader service adjustments by the transit provider. While specific details regarding the exact effective date of the elimination or any transitional plans for affected riders were not provided in the announcement, the core reasons provided by RTS center on financial sustainability and service performance metrics. The focus for RTS will now shift to optimizing its fixed-route services to better serve the community’s transportation needs.
Further information regarding the full scope of RTS service changes, including any potential impacts on other routes or services, is expected to be communicated by the transit authority to the public.
Story summarized from the original created by Reagan Hillman on www.rochesterfirst.com, see more information here.
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