The Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) has resumed its shuttle service after a six-week closure due to financial constraints.
During the July 4th holiday weekend, the museum quietly reinstated its free transportation service with funding from an individual donor—investment executive, Mary Spurrier of Rochester, New York.
The shuttle route travels from the welcome center and parking lot to CMoG, then to downtown Market Street, the Rockwell Museum and back.
CMoG is 0.9 miles from Market Street and 0.4 miles from the welcome center and parking lot. The distance is more than 2.5 miles round trip to downtown Corning and back to the parking lot.
The donation supports shuttle services for five months each year during peak tourism seasons of the summer and fall. The funding is provided through 2026.
Beth Duane, marketing executive for the Corning Museum of Glass, said even though Spurrier lives in Rochester, she is a frequent visitor to Corning.
“I am hopeful that the three years that Mary has given us, shall I say, will buy us some time to engage the city and the community to figure out how perhaps the shuttle can live on beyond 2026,” said Duane.
According to Duane, the museum and the city have not had official conversations about the topic of providing shuttle services after 2026.
In May, the museum stopped the shuttle service because it was cost prohibitive. However, local business owners expressed concerns about economic and accessibility issues for visitors to the downtown Corning area.
In a press release, the museum's president and executive director, Karol Wight, said the donation will allow CMoG to provide a community service.
“We are thrilled that this generous designated gift has allowed us to reinstate our courtesy shuttle for guests of both the Corning Museum of Glass and The Rockwell Museum during our busiest times, as well as community members who find the service beneficial,” said Wight. “The Museum is proud to be an integral part of the Corning community, and with the support Ms. Spurrier has provided, we can offer additional accommodations for our guests including those with mobility restrictions."
Duane said the shuttles are fully accessible for wheelchairs, strollers and anyone with mobility issues.
The service is now known as the Spurrier Community Shuttle. It remains free of charge to all riders, including local residents.