Oneonta Public Transit – OPT

I wish there were negative stars…
I’m in a wheelchair, and though the busses are supposedly ADA-​complient, I would be very cautious about using this company if you’re in a wheelchair or scooter.
If you have a handicapped pass and call to order a special pickup, those drivers are awesome and know what their doing.
The big busses are narrow as hell, and once I manage to wedge myself into the tiny spot for wheelchairs, the drivers can’t figure out how to tie me down. I’ve almost lost my toes and tipped over multiple times.
The little busses are better equipped, but unless it is a specific paratransit route, avoid at all costs. I’ll spare you the details of how I got hurt because I believe the best indicator is how the driver reacted after the incident. He did nothing. No apology. He didn’t even look at me for the rest of the trip or ask if I was okay. He later lied in the official report, and the owner of the busses really didn’t seem to care when I spoke to him about it.
I know quite a few other disabled people who have had similar trouble and been hurt with OPT. As for me, I would rather trudge through snow, uphill both ways, in sub-​zero winds than get on one of these busses again.

The OPT is definitely a necessity for college students in Oneonta. It stops several times in town, and three times on campus. If I remember correctly, it only costs about 60 cents, which is unbelievably cheap (compared to $ 2.25 in the city). They are pretty good about being on schedule too.

You really ought to try the public transportation in Oneonta. Not only are the buses clean, super air-​conditioned and very inexpensive, they also run all over town.
If you ever visit Oneonta, you can be instantly shuttled to Cooperstown and visit Glimmerglass Opera, or the Ommegang Brewery or Baseball Hall of Fame. Or ride to Otsego and surrounding towns.
I love walking to town and jumping on the Southside bus — that hits all the good stores in the mall, with the addition of stopping at the Hannaford, as well as BB&B, the movies, Office Depot, and {ugh} Wal-​Mart! Alternatively, one could get their daily walk in (about 45 minutes to Hannaford from the SUNY campus) and then pick up the bus back.
The SUNY campus has a couple stops, one at the library and the other near Alumni Hall and the dorms. When the kids come back from school, I hear the bus drivers drive them a little farther so they don’t have to walk all the way to the dorms with heavy suitcases. Nice!
They have cool schedules. Running every half-​hour, all the buses meet together on Main St., so they totally always are sitting together for 5 minutes. Student rate is $ 1.
What else? The Drivers are extremely friendly, courteous, laid back and have always been out-​of-​their way friendly to me. But they don’t stop for latecomers!