Tell Us What You Think About Mayor Duffy's flip-flop on the Bus Garage on Mortimer Street!

(Rochester, N.Y.) – Mayor Robert Duffy said he’s on board with the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority’s plan to build a bus terminal on Mortimer Street, although a final agreement is not in place.

“Nothing has been finalized but I think we’re in a good place moving ahead,” Duffy said.

“If you look at the buses on Main Street in the morning or at night, you get a sense of what they need for a facility and that really is it. It would taken the buses off Main Street, open up pedestrian, parking opportunities, and the rest of development, so it is a good thing.”

The head of Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority told 13WHAM News earlier this week that a bus terminal should be built on Mortimer Street or not at all.

“We picked this site and worked on it for 10 years for a reason. Mortimer Street is the right location to build a transit center. It's environmentally approved. We've spent millions of dollars getting the design to where it is today. That's the right place to build this project. We're hopeful that's where it's going to be,” said RGRTA CEO Mark Aesch.

The authority has more than $50 million in federal and state funds set aside for a bus terminal. The terminal would cost in the mid to high $40 million range, Aesch said. Some of the federal funds expire this year.

A transit center was proposed on Mortimer as part of the failed Renaissance Square project. City officials said the design was too large and should be linked to the train station. Those objections played a role in the death of the project proposed at Main and Clinton.

Duffy said RGRTA officials have tweaked the design – concessions that were made when the parties were trying to save the Renaissance Square project.

“While it might not have shortened to the level some may have wanted it I think RGRTA did considerably come and make adjustments,” Duffy said. “Nobody’s going to be entirely happy.”

Duffy said all sides learned a lot with the collapse of Renaissance Square and have worked on their relationships.

City Council has to sign off on a transit center. A formal plan has not been presented to council.