July 7th, 2025
New Service Begins Monday, July 14, 2025
Spanish Language Version (PDF)
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello today joined Regional Transit Service (RTS) CEO Miguel Velázquez to announce the addition of a new RTS shuttle service that will provide improved access for veterans to the VA Clinic on Calkins Road in Henrietta. Joining Bello and Velázquez for the announcement were Nick Stefanovic, Director of the Monroe County Veterans Services Agency; Laura Heltz, Executive Director of the Veterans Outreach Center; and Sara Passamonte, President/Executive Director of Compeer Rochester.
The new shuttle service will begin on Monday, July 14, 2025, and will run on a continuous loop every 20 minutes between RTS’ Hylan Drive Connection Hub at Marketplace Mall and the VA Clinic. The shuttle will operate Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. RTS’ standard fare of $1 per ride will apply to the new shuttle. Veterans who take advantage of RTS’ free fares for veterans program and have their bus pass from the Veterans Outreach Center (VOC), can use that pass to ride for free on this new shuttle.
"We want to ensure that veterans have access to the services that they need, services that they have earned. This new shuttle service is one of a number of transportation options available to local veterans who need help getting to and from medical appointments," said Monroe County Executive Adam Bello. "I’m grateful to RTS for their partnership and to CEO Miguel Velazquez for his dedication to serving this community and its veterans."
“RTS is happy to build on our long history of supporting veterans by adding this shuttle and improving access to the VA Clinic,” said RTS CEO Miguel Velázquez. “I thank County Executive Bello, his team, and the Veterans Outreach Center for their leadership, partnership and support. I thank the RTS team for providing safe, convenient, reliable, and sustainable service to our customers each day. And I thank our veterans for putting themselves in harm’s way to protect our values and our freedom.”
“I am truly grateful to County Executive Bello and Miguel Velázquez at RTS, along with the RTS team for collaborating and finding another way to improve transportation services for Veterans,” said Director of Monroe County Veterans Service Agency Nicholas Stefanovic. “It is critical that all Veterans, regardless of financial status or geographical location have access to the VA Outpatient Clinic. We do a great job in Monroe County of working closely with community partners like the Veterans Outreach Center and Compeer to provide these types of services. This is just another example of how government can function to efficiently and effectively facilitate an environment where Veterans can thrive.”
“We are proud to partner with Monroe County Executive Adam Bello, and RTS, consistently looking for ways to promote Veterans well-being and access to services,” said Executive Director of Veterans Outreach Center Laura Heltz. “RTS has been a great friend and ally to our Veterans for a long time. The Veteran bus pass program that we created with RTS has completely opened access to public transportation and removed barriers so that Veterans have the ability to travel anywhere in Monroe County regardless of their financial status. Adding a shuttle service to increase accessibility to the VA will be another example of our organizations working together to improve the lives of our Veterans.”
“With over 1/3 of our staff and clients being Veterans, we at Compeer understand the importance of connectedness amongst this population,” said President/Executive Director at Compeer Rochester Sara Passamonte. “Being connected requires more than just a willingness to engage in community activities, it requires a means to do so, with transportation being front and center. We believe this shuttle service will meet the needs of many veterans, especially those who live near bus lines with standing appointments at the VA. This also frees up the capacity of our Vets Driving Vets program to provide more rides to those who benefit from more support.”
More information about RTS and the local public transit system can be found at www.myRTS.com. Veterans interested in obtaining a bus pass to take advantage of the free fare program can learn more at https://veteransoutreachcenter.org/rts.
