PREVIEW: This is How We Move: Celebrating 175 Years of Transit in the Capital Region
Pictured L to R: Former CDTA CEO Dennis Fitzpatrick, Current CEO Frank Annicaro, and Carm Basile (who served at CDTA for 43 years)
“We’re honored to celebrate our past while looking ahead to a future of greater connectivity, access, and innovation.”
All aboard for a trip through time: CDTA and the Hart Cluett Museum have just unveiled the second phase of their collaborative transit exhibit at the Joseph L. Bruno Rail Station. Titled From Horse Rail to Mobility Hubs: 175 Years of Public Transportation in the Capital District, the eight-panel display captures nearly two centuries of how humans have moved, by track, tire, and everything in between.
The exhibit traces the Capital Region’s journey from 19th-century horse-drawn trolleys to today’s microtransit apps and multimodal hubs. Visitors can dive into the stories of early trolley operators, dramatic labor strikes, Children’s Day excursions, and the eventual rise of CDTA as a regional mobility leader now serving more than 18 million riders a year.
It’s a companion to last year’s Riding the Rails exhibit, which showcased the legacy of passenger rail travel in Rensselaer County. Together, they paint a fuller picture of how public transit, both local and long-distance, has connected and shaped the region for generations.
“This exhibit highlights not just CDTA’s legacy, but the critical role public transportation has played in the economic development of the Capital Region,” said CDTA CEO Frank Annicaro. “We’re honored to celebrate our past while looking ahead to a future of greater connectivity, access, and innovation.”
Kathy Sheehan, Executive Director of the Hart Cluett Museum and Troy & Rensselaer County Historian, added: “This project brings to light the layered and often underappreciated stories of how people in our region have moved, connected, and built community over generations. It reflects the intersection of design, history, and public service—we’re proud to partner with CDTA in telling that story.”
The project was made possible with support from Nigro Retail Properties and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The exhibit was designed by RPI student Naomi Gaylor ’26, under the guidance of professor (and alumna) Sara Tack, M.F.A. ’01.
“We’re incredibly proud of Naomi and RPI’s multi-modal design programs’ role in this project,” said Tack, of RPI’s School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. “This exhibit not only showcases our students’ creative talents but also underscores RPI’s commitment to meaningful community engagement through the arts, history, and design.”
What you’ll see:
Vintage trolley and bus photos from the early 1900s
Stories of strikes, student fare tokens, and old-school outreach
The rise of CDTA and its nationally recognized leadership
A look at modern mobility hubs and what’s next for public transit
The exhibit is free and open daily in the lobby of the Joseph L. Bruno Rail Station, one of the busiest Amtrak stations in the country!