Buses
Streetsblog Basics
Klein Backs Off Bill to Restore Flashing Lights on Select Bus Service
Flashing lights on Select Bus Service vehicles are designed to help riders distinguish between pay-before-boarding SBS and pay-onboard local service. After years of operation without issue, Staten Island lawmakers exploited a minor state law to have the MTA turn off the lights 16 months ago. Bills in Albany to find a solution are stuck in committee, and now the bill's most powerful sponsor is backing away.
April 11, 2014
When Will Select Bus Service Get Its Flashing Lights Back?
When Select Bus Service launched in 2008, the program included blue flashing lights on the front of each bus to help riders distinguish the service from local buses. This is particularly important for Select Bus Service, since most SBS routes require riders to pay their fare at a machine before boarding. The flashing lights help riders know whether they're boarding an SBS bus, with its special payment system, or a local bus.
April 10, 2014
Eyes on the Street: Real-Time Bus Arrival Display on Nostrand Ave [Updated]
New York finally has real-time bus arrival information and excellent route maps posted at bus stops. Or rather, at least one bus stop has this info, and it looks like the kind of thing that should spread to a lot more bus stops.
March 13, 2014
The Tappan Zee Transit Task Force Has Issued Its Report. Now What?
On Friday, the Tappan Zee Mass Transit Task Force released its final report [PDF], recommending bus improvements across Westchester and Rockland counties that could be completed when the new Hudson River span opens in 2018. But the path to implementation is vague at best. If these bus upgrades are going to materialize, task force members say it's up to the governor to push for them.
March 4, 2014
80-Year-Old Pedestrian and MTA Bus Driver Killed in Separate Crashes
In the last 24 hours, an 80-year-old pedestrian and an MTA bus driver were killed in crashes in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
February 12, 2014
Was the Victim of the Jackson Heights MTA Bus Crash Jaywalking? [Updated]
Update: NYPD identified the victim as Martha Tibillin-Guamug, 25, according to the Times Ledger.
February 4, 2014
For One Reckless Driving Survivor, “Life Looks a Lot Different Than Before”
Traffic fatality numbers usually get the headlines, but as a measure of how safe or dangerous it is to walk and bike, injuries are the more stable metric. Since 2003, according to state DMV data, an average of just under 14,000 people were injured by motorists while walking and biking in the city each year.
January 14, 2014
Manhattan Bus Routes Sweep the 2013 Pokey and Schleppie Awards
The Straphangers Campaign and Transportation Alternatives today handed out their annual awards for the slowest and least reliable NYC buses, with Manhattan routes taking the honors.
December 19, 2013
Senior Killed by Bus Driver in Bronx; Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Man in Queens
Two NYC pedestrians were killed by motorists over the weekend. One of the victims was a senior; the other was struck by a hit-and-run driver in the City Council district represented by Eric Ulrich, where at least five pedestrians have died in traffic in 2013.
December 9, 2013
Vance: Tour Bus Driver Who Killed Pedestrian Convicted of Manslaughter
A tour bus driver who killed a pedestrian in Hell's Kitchen while driving drunk has been convicted of manslaughter and homicide.
November 21, 2013