Buses
Streetsblog Basics
Off-Board Fare Payment Means MTA Can Run 24 More 34th St. Buses a Day
Changes to bus service on 34th Street have improved travel times and bus frequencies and have increased ridership, according to MTA data presented to the transportation committee of Manhattan Community Board 6 last night. Even speedier and more reliable crosstown rides are expected after the next stages of the street redesign are phased in over the next two years.
May 8, 2012
Advocates: Private Transit Giant Lobbied House to Weaken Public Transit
The threat of service reductions and fare increases always loomed large over the transfer of Long Island Bus service to a private operator. After Nassau County refused to assume its share of costs for the service, international private transit provider Veolia Transport was brought on to take over from the New York MTA at the beginning of the year.
March 9, 2012
Bronx Reps Pledge Support for Transit at Town Hall Meeting
Assembly members Marcos Crespo and Vanessa Gibson pledged their support for transit improvements at a town hall meeting in Soundview last night, starting with a campaign for more rush hour service on the Bx27, Bx36, and Bx41 buses.
February 17, 2012
Why the House Transportation Bill Hits Bus Riders Especially Hard
When the House Ways and Means Committee voted to divert all gas tax revenue away from transit projects, severing transit's only dedicated source of federal funds, they were essentially throwing transit riders under the bus.
February 10, 2012
When Cops and Placard Holders Set the Tone for Transportation Coverage
Today's Jim Dwyer column in the New York Times is a nice little encapsulation of everything that can go wrong when NYC's press corps turns its attention to matters of transportation.
February 3, 2012
Albany 2012: Transit Funds, Traffic Cams Top Transportation Agenda
Many of Albany's biggest transportation issues this year -- the bloated and transit-free Tappan Zee, the unfunded MTA capital plan -- will be decided by Governor Cuomo. But transportation advocates also have a slate of bills they hope to see make it through the legislature. Last year, the complete streets bill passed after a few prior attempts. Here's what's on the table for 2012.
February 2, 2012
Real-Time Bus Info Launches for All of Staten Island
Real-time bus information, previously only available on two routes, is now live for every bus in the borough of Staten Island. On an average weekday, that means 127,000 local and express bus riders will be able to find out exactly how far away their bus is.
January 11, 2012
After the Service Cuts: Riders Cram on to Overburdened, Unreliable B61
Toward the end of a press conference at the corner of Fourth Avenue and 9th Street this morning, Council Member Brad Lander remarked that not a single B61 bus came by during the 15-minute event. This was only fitting, since Lander was unveiling a new report from his office that found most rush hour B61 buses don't arrive within the guidelines established by the MTA.
December 5, 2011
At Sloth-Like 3.5 MPH, M50 Bus Wins This Year’s Pokey Award
Want to understand why more Manhattanites don't ride the bus? Look no further than this year's Pokey awards, given out annually by the Straphangers Campaign. Manhattan buses, as usual, top the list of the year's slowest service.
December 1, 2011
Transit Deserts Leave New Yorkers Thirsting for Access to Jobs
Much progress has been made in the five years since Scott Stringer's first transportation conference, but many transit riders are still wandering in the “transportation deserts” that were the focus of one afternoon panel at the Manhattan borough president's follow-up event, Transportation 2030, this past Friday.
November 22, 2011