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The new service provides a critical regional tourism connection and offers much desired Sunday bus service in the City of Beacon. Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro were joined by other regional dignitaries at a press conference Thursday held at the Cold Spring Visitors Center on Main Street in Cold Spring, before a trolley took them on a symbolic voyage to Mount Beacon.
The shuttle service will run on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will continue through December. The route is the product of an inter-municipal partnership between Putnam County, Dutchess County, the Village of Cold Spring and the City of Beacon.
"Providing a shuttle service is the fiscally and socially responsible thing to do. The shuttle will encourage tourism and commerce while also offering a safe means of travel along Route 9D for hikers who want to discover some of the most notable trails in the country such as Breakneck Ridge," said Odell.
The route runs from the Bandstand in the Village of Cold Spring through Main Street and up Route 9D to Mount Beacon in the City of Beacon. Riders will be able to get on or off the shuttle at the trailheads or marketplaces along Route 9D. On Saturdays, the Putnam County shuttle service will offer connections to Dutchess County Public Transit's Route G bus route line at Mt. Beacon as well as Main Street, the Metro North train station and DIA.
Since Dutchess County Public Transit bus system does not operate on Sundays, the new shuttle service will provide an important connection for tourists as well as residents looking for public transit options in Beacon.
"We are very excited about the launch of the Cold Spring-Beacon shuttle bus. This shuttle service is sure to be a boon to tourism in both communities by making it easier for visitors to access both areas through one mode of convenient transportation," said Beacon Mayor Randy Casale.
Riders will be charged $2 per trip on the shuttle, and seniors and children will be charged $1. Route and schedule information is available on the Putnam County website or at the Cold Spring Visitors Center.
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