Kingston riders and advocates urge county to halt UCAT route changes after Kingston Plaza eviction

Aug. 19, 2025 — Public commenters told the Ulster County Legislature on Tuesday they were alarmed that Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) had been evicted from its transfer hub at Kingston Plaza and urged county leaders to pause planned route changes set to take effect Sept. 15.

Resident and transit rider Rosemary Quinn said UCAT “has been without much notice or really any true preparation, evicted from its hub at the Kingston Plaza by the owner, Brad Jordan,” and asked the county to halt changes while a solution is found. Quinn said reports indicated the county administration planned to move the hub to a Department of Social Services location in the Town of Ulster, which she called “not acceptable” and “very dangerous” because it is not walkable or bikeable.

Riders’ advocate Tanya Garment said the county’s Aug. 11 press release did not disclose that Kingston Plaza would no longer be available as UCAT’s hub and that route maps released Aug. 15 conflicted with earlier optimization-plan materials. “We need the bus hub to be in the city of Kingston, not in the dangerous quarter that they're proposing,” Garment told legislators, and she asked that the administration delay implementation of the route-optimization changes until community review is complete.

Speakers asked the legislature and administration to consider Midtown Kingston for a new hub and to pause route changes so the ongoing route‑optimization study can be completed with public input. No legislative action was taken at the meeting; speakers requested county staff and the executive branch to provide immediate clarification and a halt to any operational transfers pending the study’s completion.