The other day we were thinking about parking downtown in Saratoga Springs. Thinking about it. Not parking. We were driving around trying to find a place to park within reasonable walking distance of our destination. We were going to have lunch below the east side of Broadway, so west side parking was out. In case you haven’t noticed it, going back it’s all uphill.

While some citizens and town officials think “park and walk” is a great idea, if your legs are over 65 years old they have a limited range (like bows and arrows) and uphill is the cruelest cut of all. Even those of us who walk for exercise often struggle when the going is up.

We’ve read all the editorials and letters to the editor and pronouncements about parking solutions for Saratoga Springs. Obviously, there’s a space and time problem the good people who run our city are trying to solve.

But in the meantime, we were in the mood for an outing. After a frustrating search, we threw up our hands (not the one driving) and we went back up North Broadway, parked at Skidmore College and took the bus from the Case Campus Center! 

On July 2nd enhanced public transportation came to Saratoga in the form of state-of-the-art platform-entry CDTA buses that now criss-cross the city and even reach out to the Wilton Mall, Ballston Spa and Schenectady. Four new connecting routes run about every 20 minutes from early morning to late enough in the evening to make it home after dinner at your favorite restaurant downtown.

Fortunately, we had printed out a schedule from the CDTA Web site. The bus was right on time and we hopped aboard. It was the 473 Jefferson Street line. We were off on an adventure.

The squared-off dark blue buses hold about 25 passengers in three sections, one with space to secure a wheelchair. Signs in English and Spanish ask you to give certain seats to the elderly or disabled.  An inside marquis style sign gives the name of the bus route and the driver and route schedules are in a handy holder behind the driver. The plush primary-colored seats look as if Jackson Pollock may have had some input in their design, but they are comfortable.

The bus quickly wound its way past stops at Embury Drive (convenient to the Wesley complex), Clinton Street, Van Dam and then onto Broadway. Down Broadway we rolled, gawking out the large windows like tourists. Then down Spring Street to Circular and Park Place until we wound up on Jefferson Street. Our final stop was the side entrance under the canopy of the Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.  We bade goodbye to our helpful, pleasant driver and strode into the gaming parlor where we lost the gas money we saved by taking the bus, and then partook of the buffet lunch.

While we were eating, we read the bus schedules we had snitched from the bus (they’re free) and saw that one could pretty well get around to most of the places we frequent in Saratoga Springs: downtown, the public library, the train station, Skidmore College, the Wilton Mall, Ballston Spa, the new YMCA, the Spa State Park. We noted that there were Park & Ride facilities at the train station, the mall, and the raceway. Checking our schedule again, we mounted a return bus (another pleasant, helpful driver) and returned to the Skidmore campus.

Among our fellow passengers on the return trip was a woman making a transfer on Spring Street to get to an appointment at the train station and a couple of folks from Embury who had been enjoying a downtown outing. The drivers told us the ridership was picking up every day as people learned about the service and where the stops are.

What a blessing for us this service can be. Senior fares are only 50 cents (half fare) and a swiper card for five days is $18 or $22 for seven days. You’ll need to get schedules by calling 482-8822 or going to their Web site at www.cdta.org.  There is good signage on the front of the buses and bus stop signs are already up around town. Keep your eye out for the ones nearest you. Grab a friend or significant other, hop on the first bus you see, and take a chance the way we did… you’ll save some money on gas and maybe have an adventure.

First bus stop is at the Saratoga Train Station Lane.

The next stops (in route order) are:
On Station Lane at West Ave.
On West Ave. at Washington St.
On West Ave. at Grand Ave.
On West Ave. at Blue Streak Blvd.
On YMCA property at Stop sign
On YMCA property at New St.
On New St. at Ballston Ave.
On Ballston Ave. (Rt. 50) at Taft (Price Chopper)
On Ballston Ave. (Rt. 50) at Union Ave.
On Ballston Ave. (Rt. 50) at Broadway (Rt. 9)
On Broadway (Rts. 9 and 50) at Congress Park
On Spring St. at Putnam St.
On Union Ave. at Regent St.
On Union Ave. at Saratoga Race Course
On Henning Road at BOCES 

Route 472 – Lake Ave. From Saratoga Train Station to Wilton Mall

First bus stop is at the Saratoga Train Station Lane.

The next stops (in route order) are:
On Station Lane at West Ave.
On Church St. at Myrtle St. (Hospital)
On Church St. at Beekman St.
On Church St. at Walworth St.
On Church St. at Railroad Place
On Church St. at Woodlawn Ave.
On Lake Ave. at Circular St.
On Lake Ave. at Nelson Ave.
On Lake Ave. at East Ave.
On Lake Ave. at Schuyler Drive
On Weibel Ave. at Hannaford Plaza
On Lowe’s Drive at Walmart
On Lowe’s Drive at crosswalk
At Wilton Mall at Main Entrance 

Route 473 – Jefferson St. From Skidmore College to Racino

First bus stop is at the Skidmore Campus at the Case Campus Center.

The next stops (in route order) are:
On Clinton St. at Embury Drive
On Clinton St. at Vermont St.
On Clinton St. at Van Dam St.
On Van Dam St. at Woodlawn Ave.
On Van Dam St. at Broadway
On Broadway at Grove St.
On Broadway at Lake Ave.
On Broadway at Division St.
On Spring St. at Putnam St.
On Circular St. at Union Ave.
On Park Place at Regent St.
On Park Place at Lincoln Ave.
On Jefferson St. at Worth St.
On Jefferson St. at East Fenlon St.
On Jefferson St. at Crescent St.
On Jefferson St. at south of Gridley Ave.
On Jefferson St. at East Broadway
At Racino at side entrance at canopy