November 19th, 2025
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello announced today that the Monroe County 2025-2026 Code Blue Plans are now in effect. Code Blue provides warming centers for unhoused individuals when temperatures dip below 32 degrees. These plans enhance support for unhoused individuals during extreme winter weather and provide expanded transportation options to reach these centers.
“Keeping residents safe during extreme weather takes careful planning and strong partnerships,” said County Executive Adam Bello. “I’m proud of the work our Department of Human Services and community partners have done to prepare for Code Blue season. Together with RTS and the City of Rochester, we’ve built a coordinated response that ensures every Monroe County resident can find safety and warmth when they need it most.”
During Code Blue months, individuals in need can request free transportation via RTS to a warming shelter in the City of Rochester at any bus stop. If the nearest shelter is already on the bus route, the bus will transport them directly there. If a participating warming center is not on the bus route, the bus will transport them to the RTS transit center, where an RTS employee will escort them to the appropriate bus route that will take them to a shelter with available space.
“In a Rochester winter, a warm bed is not a luxury, it is a lifeline,” said Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans. “Code Blue reflects the best of who we are as a community, with the City, Monroe County, RTS, and outreach teams working together so our most vulnerable neighbors can find safety, dignity, and a path indoors.”
"Each year, our focus is simple; no one should be left out in the cold,” said Department of Human Services Commissioner Thalia Wright. “Since July, our DHS team has worked tirelessly with government and community partners, meeting biweekly with a dedicated planning team, including the City of Rochester, Partners Ending Homelessness, health systems, outreach programs and homeless service providers to prepare for this Code Blue season. These continued collaborations, including our partnership with RTS to offer free transportation to warming shelters, reflect the compassion and coordination of our community response.”
Code Blue is enacted when weather conditions pose a threat of serious harm or death to unhoused individuals, typically when wind chill temperatures are expected to drop below 32 degrees.
Code Blue started on November 15th and will end when weather conditions permit.
Monroe County Warming Center Sites are listed below:
- Open Door Mission, 156 N Plymouth Ave., Rochester, RTS Routes: 15, 21
- House of Mercy, 285 Ormond St., Rochester, RTS Route 3
- Saving Grace Ministries (men only), 1140 Norton St., Rochester, RTS Route 4, 5
- Oak Orchard, First Baptist Church, 124 Main St., Brockport, transportation available through RTS OnDemand
