Circular Reasoning brought to you by CDTA

CDTA sends out media alerts when there is a scheduled re-route of a bus line for events like parades, runs, festivals and road pavings. This is a good thing.

The Times Union prints the information in the newspaper in articles like this one. This is also a good thing.

Note the last line of the article, "Riders can get more information about the route changes by visiting www.cdta.org or by calling 482-8822."

"Cool," I say to myself, "I can go to the website and see a map of the temporary routes!"

With a few key strokes and a couple of mouse clicks... I go to this page on CDTA's website, which not only has recent re-routing information, but for all those folks clamoring for a three-year history of CDTA re-routes, our transit authority provides that too! I click on the re-route link, "CDTA Announces Re-routes to Accommodate Albany Paving Project" and what do I get? Basically the same information provided in the newspaper article. As a matter of fact, the link is the press release sent to media outlets, and nothing more. There are no visuals, no map, no naming of re-route stops, no estimated time changes.

The link refers me back to CDTA's home page so that I can find the same information all over again... sending me in circles.

This is not a good thing.

So, really and truly -- the only way to get information is to call the CDTA information line, 482-8822. I didn't do it this weekend -- but I'm assuming the operators were provided detailed information to assist anyone who called with questions.

But, wait --- if CDTA's customer service operators are given detailed re-route info-- how much more work would it take to tweak that to be posted on the website?

Come on, CDTA -- I know you can do better! Stop sending your riders in circles and get us usable re-route info on the website.