Will Public Transit Changes in Dutchess Cost Hyde Park, New York Woman Her Job?

When the proposed 2024 Dutchess County Public Transit route modifications go into effect one Hyde Park, NY resident could lose her job.

Earlier this month Dutchess County announced that they would be modifying some of the Dutchess County Public Transit (DCPT) routes throughout the county. The changes, set to go into effect on March 30th, 2024 are an attempt to "make it easier for riders to navigate the system, expand service on the busiest routes, and streamline service in underutilized areas to improve efficiency" according to the County's website.

Dutchess County Transit Changes Could Cost Woman Job

The transit changes are expected to save the county over $250,000 but one woman who regularly rides the bus is worried that those county-wide savings might cost her the job she's had for almost 10 years according to the Daily Catch. 10 years ago Morgan Trautmann, then 18, started riding the Dutchess County bus daily from her Hyde Park, NY home to Red Hook, NY where she was training in a work program at the Red Hook High School. Upon completion of the program, she was hired at the popular Taste Budd’s Café, at 40 W Market Street doing various jobs for the past 8 years.

If Dutchess County follows through on plans to change transit routes they would be eliminating the stop that Trautmann has come to rely on to get to work every day. DCPT plans to eliminate the Red Hook and Tivoli stops on the Route C line and if that happens Trautmann told the Daily Catch says she’s not sure how she'll be able to continue to get to work, reliably and affordably.

"It would be really difficult overall. If transportation is the reason I lose this job, it would affect me very much."

She went on to say, "The bus is the only way it's financially viable to commute to a place like Red Hook...it is an invaluable resource." Trautmann who recently got her driver's license has set goals in the last few years to save for an apartment and a car but with the proposed changes, she’s unsure if, or when, they will even be attainable. The only way she'll be able to keep her job come March is to get a car and she understands that would add big expenses saying, "It would cost a lot in gas."

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"Not really thinking of the people"

That's how Trautmann feels about Dutchess County officials saying, "They’re not really thinking of the people. These services help me with my goals." Many folks in the area are hoping these changes don't cost anybody their jobs. Taste Budd's owner Dan Budd called Trautmann an "anchor on his team, I can’t think of Taste Budd’s café without Morgan. She is so important to us, we love having her here, and she’s really good at her job."

There will be a few public discussions about the DCPT changes across the county over the next few weeks and if those discussions lead to any changes in the plans we will update this article. If you or someone you know is going to be affected by the DCPT changes email me CJ@HUDSONVALLEYCOUNTRY.COM. We might use your story for an upcoming article.