by C.A.M. Cameron

I’m originally a city kid, and for us, some of the important milestones are a bit different than those of our suburban or rural contemporaries – especially when it comes to transportation. While our suburban friends often begin to mark their independence with a driver’s permit, we tend to earn that same independence the first time we’re allowed to ride a city bus or subway by ourselves. While our out-of-town friends grow up hearing their parents rhapsodize about new cars, we’ve generally heard complaints about finding parking spaces, having to move cars in bad weather, or even the difficulties of locating a service station in a metropolitan area. Use of public transportation and pedestrian options aren’t just the norm for city kids, they are seen as preferable ways to get where you need to go, from the time you are a small child on.

While Saratoga Springs likes to bill itself as “the city in the country,” on the transport front, its residents definitely lean more to the country side than the city. When is the last time you took a CDTA bus out to Wilton Mall – or showed your kids how to do so instead of playing taxi driver? Have you ever availed yourself of the commuter transport between Saratoga and Albany – or considered other options if you do commute to work? And other than the occasional recreational bike ride, how often have you chosen to forgo your car within town in lieu of two-wheeled – or two-legged – transport? For most Saratoga residents, the answer to those questions is “not often”. Yet Saratoga offers an unusually diverse – and accessible – array of transportation options for a community of our size, and a core of local folks committed to both using and expanding those options. With gasoline approaching $4 a gallon, it’s a good time to review those options and find out what plans are in the works for transportation in Saratoga – and Sustainable Saratoga is doing just that.

On Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m., at Empire State College (113 West Ave., Saratoga Springs – room 143 on the first floor) Sustainable Saratoga’s Transportation and Mobility Committee will present a panel discussion on area transportation issues. Leading the panel will be local business owner, artist and cycling enthusiast Tobin Alexandra-Young, a force behind the Shared Access, Saratoga group currently exploring the implementation of a “Complete Streets” policy for Saratoga Springs, among other transportation improvements. Complete Streets is an inclusive national initiative which aims to ensure that transportation planners and engineers design and operate roadways with all users in mind – including bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. He will detail Shared Access, Saratoga’s work on Complete Streets, Safe Routes to School and other initiatives thus far, and answer any questions about his group’s ongoing efforts.

Two representatives of Saratoga’s public transportation also will join the discussion. Kristina Younger, deputy executive director for business development at the Capital District Transportation Authority will update attendees on how CDTA’s area bus routes are working and the Authority’s plans for the future; and Chrisitne Kulls, charter tour manager for Upstate Transit of Saratoga LLC, the Ballston Spa-based firm which runs the Northway Xpress commuter service to Albany will be on hand to answer any questions about the NX service to and from Saratoga.

On the volunteer end, Douglas Haller will detail the efforts of the Saratoga Healthy Transportation Network. Haller and his fellow volunteers are dedicated to producing more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly conditions for the residents of Saratoga County, and do so through a number of initiatives including their monthly meetings, bicycle repair and give-aways, work on area trails, and online communication about transportation initiatives. He will update attendees on his group’s plans for the season and answer any questions about SHTN and its efforts.

“We have an excellent panel, representing a solid cross-section of our local transportation organizations and initiatives,” said John Rich, chair of Sustainable Saratoga’s Transportation and Mobility Committee. “And the best thing we could have at Tuesday night’s meeting is an equally diverse cross-section of area residents and groups in attendance – and ready with questions for our panel about any and all aspects of area transport, so we can help determine where the efforts of groups like Sustainable Saratoga are best directed.”

Whether your transport experience is on two feet or four wheels, join us on Tuesday night at Empire State College for Sustainable Saratoga’s panel discussion and help add your comments and concerns to the dialogue!