Above at the bus shelter ribbon cutting are Christine Richardson (Volunteer Transportation Center), Fred Hanss (Village of Potsdam), Gregory Thompson (Village of Potsdam), Dylan Soper (St. Lawrence County), Margaret Haggard (St. Lawrence County legislator), Jim Corbett (Village of Potsdam), Karen Bage (St. Lawrence Health Initiative), Reinhold Tischler (Village of Potsdam mayor), Alexandra Jacobs Wilke (Village of Potsdam trustee), Erik Backus (Clarkson University), Klaus Proemm (Village of Canton trustee), Rena Ryan (The Arc Jefferson – St. Lawrence), Priscilla Leggette (SUNY Canton), Timothy Welpe (The Arc Jefferson – St. Lawrence) and Dave Bradford (St. Lawrence Health Initiative). Photo submitted by The Arc Jefferson - St. Lawrence.

St. Lawrence County Public Transit held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the County’s first solar powered bus shelters. Thanks to support from the St. Lawrence Health Initiative, accessible, lighted shelters have been installed in Potsdam and Massena and are now available.

The three bus shelters were purchased through the Health Initiative's Creating Healthy Schools and Communities Project, which is funded by the New York State Department of Health. The Potsdam shelter is on Main Street, near the parking lot at Ives Park. The Massena shelters are at the Community Center on Beach Street and along Robinson Road, near the Housing Authority complex.

Recently, Health Initiative staff, Village of Potsdam and St Lawrence County officials, and SLC Public Transit Taskforce members gathered at the Potsdam shelter for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

“We are excited to be able to provide St. Lawrence County’s Public Transit with solar bus shelters to help enhance the health and safety for transit riders," Karen Bage, community coordinator for St. Lawrence Health Initiative, said in a news release. “It is gratifying to be able to support the community’s Complete Streets Policy and provide students and community members with a comfortable area to wait for the bus, especially as we head into the winter months.”

Riders taking the Massena Shuttle, route #70, may now use either bus shelter. The Potsdam bus shelter has regular stops from the SUNY Potsdam Bear Shuttle (route #67) and the Clarkson Shuttle (route #68), both of which are part of the College Connector service.  All bus schedules are listed at slcnypublictransit.com/transit-schedules.

In accordance with state and local regulations, riders using public transit must wear a face covering or shield at all times and have it placed over their nose and mouth prior to entering the bus. Masks and shields are available on the buses for passengers who need them. The transit team is following strict guidelines to ensure vehicles are deeply cleaned daily and between shifts. Social distancing will be maintained, and hand sanitizer is also available for passenger use.

St. Lawrence County’s Public Transit System provides transportation throughout most towns in the County on Monday to Friday. College Connector buses operate seven days a week and are open to the general public. Buses are wheelchair accessible, bicycle racks are available, and there is free Wi-Fi service. Passengers who live more than 3/4 of a mile from a transit stop may access Volunteer Transit Center’s First Mile Last Mile service to get a ride to their nearest bus stop. Customers needing this service may call Public Transit at 315-386-2600 on week days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Find them on Facebook @SLCPublicTransit for additional information.

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