Many people who are upset with CDTA's decision to consolidate bus stops get the chance to sound off about the changes at a public meeting. Our Erin Connolly was there and has this report.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Bus riders gathered at the Albany Public Library Wednesday night to voice their concerns to some members of the Capital District Transportation Authority. People we spoke with said they are most upset about service changes and felt the need to take action.

Each and every day the wheels on these buses go round and round to bring 45,000 people where they need to go. But some of those riders say there's plenty of room for improvement.

''Lately it seems like a lot of the bus cutouts have been affecting the lower wards more than the upper wards so I'm kind of concerned about that,'' said Ron Bailey, the councilman-elect for the third ward.

''I'm more concerned about the number nine bus and the route that it's taking and it's not servicing me in the correct way or the majority of people that live in that neighborhood,'' said Darryl Rivers, a bus rider.

For those like Bessie Elizabeth Thompson, who is handicapped, not having a bus stop nearby makes getting around nearly impossible. She has to ride up a hill to get to her closest stop and she says she's not the only one.

''To tell you the truth, the senior citizens as well as the people on Morton Avenue are really actually prisoners in their homes because they don't have access. We don't have cars," Thompson said.

While some are very frustrated, the CDTA said it's doing its best to accommodate everyone.

''We are in challenging times right now and we're looking to make our system more efficient and we're doing it with what we have with limited resources,'' said Margo Janack, CTDA's manager of marketing.

Another gripe: Riders say snow is not cleared fast enough at some bus stops making it unsafe to walk.

Bailey said, ''With the cold weather and black ice and the season elderly people walking up the hill it's unsafe.''

But the good thing is riders are talking and the CTDA is listening.

''Overall our whole goal is to try to make our system more efficient and improve our service so more people have the convenience of riding the bus and make it available to more people," said Janack.

''We need to compromise. Need to serve the whole community, not just some,'' Bailey said.

The CTDA says they will listen to people's comments and do their best to make the appropriate changes. And despite riders having some issues, ridership is way up over the last few years.