SULLIVAN COUNTY — A county bus route connecting several western Sullivan communities will be discontinued after drawing fewer than 1,000 riders over nearly a year of service, according to county officials.

Route E, part of the county’s Move Sullivan public transportation system, will be phased out following a required 30-day public notice period tied to state and federal funding requirements.

The route began service on March 3, 2025, operating as a loop from Liberty through Livingston Manor, Roscoe, Callicoon Center, Jeffersonville, Youngsville and White Sulphur Springs before returning to Liberty. The schedule included multiple daily runs and a transfer point in Liberty.

From its launch through the end of January, the route recorded 966 total rides. Based on that usage, officials calculated the cost at $151.93 per rider.

“I’ve been doing a lot of studying on Route E,” Community Resources Commissioner Laura Quigley said. “When I looked at the cost of that, it equates to $151.93 a ride, which is way too much.”

The route averaged fewer than three riders per day over the roughly 11-month period. With several runs scheduled daily, that equates to less than one rider per trip.

County officials said the decision to discontinue the route was driven by those figures. The system receives federal and state funding, including Section 5311 rural transit funds and State Operating Assistance (STOA), which requires a formal notice process before service changes can take effect.

“It’s not that it can’t be something that will be looked at again down the road,” Quigley said. “But for right now, it is just not cost effective.”

The Move Sullivan system continues to see significantly higher usage overall. In January alone, the fixed-route system recorded 9,266 riders, along with 284 paratransit trips.

Officials indicated the county is now reviewing existing routes to identify low-performing stops and make adjustments to better match service with demand.