Lewis County Public Transportation to reinstate Old Forge route

This service is available to people going from Harrisville, Croghan, Lowville, Glenfield, Lyons Falls, Port Leyden and Boonville to Old Forge seven days a week. Those departing from Harrisville must call ahead.

The fare is $1 each way and discounted monthly passes are also available through Birnie Bus.

According to the public transportation website, the department works directly with Enchanted Forest Water Safari to accommodate their entire summer schedule, from June 18 to the closing Labor Day Weekend.

A detailed 2021 Old Forge Birnie Bus Run Schedule is available through the website at https://www.lewiscounty.org/public-transportation. Lewis County Public Transportation will also offer transportation for Enchanted Forest Water Safari’s Orientation.

Lewis County has offered the bus service since 2009. According to Casandra Buell, Director of Planning, along with the seasonal route to Old Forge, Lewis County Public Transportation currently has two connector routes — Jefferson Community College and Utica, six fixed service routes, dial-a-ride service and non-emergency medical transportation.

“We also offer public transportation to and from the Cream Cheese festival and various other community events,” she said. “It is expected that van pool service will be available through LCPT in the coming months.”

The Birnie Bus company manages the service and maintains the fleet, although all of the buses — full-size busses and a mini-bus belong to the county.

“People should take advantage of Lewis County Public Transportation services because they are affordable, convenient and safe,” said the director of planning. “We offer a variety of services that include Non-Emergency Medical Transportation and Dial-A-Ride van service.”

The Dial-A-Ride service allows passengers with appointments that cannot be accommodated by the regular route to call and make a special arrangement. If a vehicle is available, the caller can get the ride at the time they need for double the fare.

Ms. Buell said there are seven fixed-routes throughout Lewis County and several connector routes that give residents the opportunity to access Jefferson, Oneida and Herkimer counties.

“All of our routes are open to the public and we have adapted our buses to meet CDC Guidelines so that we prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” Ms. Buell said. “An important and convenient element of our system is that we have the capability to deviate from our route by ¾ of a mile. For example, if a rider lives within ¾ of a mile from Route 126 — a typical road we travel on our JCC Connector Route — we can pick them up at their driveway. They would simply need to call our terminal at least 24 hours in advance to notify us of their request.”

In 2019, the county added two new vehicles to the bus service. A 32-passenger bus was added which is used to transport to and from Jefferson Community College in Watertown. The county buses have Wi-Fi capability for the passengers as part of the county’s larger push for higher education and workforce development.

The county transportation department also purchased an eight-passenger wheelchair van and two bus stop shelters, one erected at the Department of Social Services on Outer Stowe Street and the other installed at Lewis County General Hospital.

“Our future is bright,” said Ms. Buell. “We were awarded $980,078 to purchase eight electronic fare boxes, six bus stop shelters, five Wi-Fi modems, a fare box vault, and five new buses. While the Modernization and Enhancement Program funding has been held up since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we look forward to moving forward with these system improvements made possible by NYS once the monies are released. Additionally, we are looking forward to launching A Fort Drum Circuit Route and Van Pool Service in the coming years.”

For more information about public transportation in Lewis County, go to https://www.lewiscounty.org/public-transportation or call Birnie Bus at 315-376-6508 for Dial-A-Ride information or reservations.