RIDERS ALLIANCE SAYS MTA MUST WORK CLOSELY WITH OFFICIALS ON BRONX BUS REDESIGN

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[Final MTA Bronx Bus Redesign\Riders Alliance]
Riders Alliance’s Burgos-Veras: “As the redesign rolls out, the MTA should work closely with Mayor de Blasio and the DOT to implement the City’s planned bus lanes and other street priority treatments for major Bronx corridors by the end of this year.”
Photo: Facebook

Riders Alliance Campaign Manager Stephanie Burgos-Veras, speaking on behalf of the Bus Turnaround Coalition, said:

“The changes in the Bronx bus redesign are important to over 600,000 daily riders who have suffered too long with slow and unreliable service. But riders wish the MTA would be more ambitious in their articulation of principles and creation of new routes to major destinations. Further, Governor Cuomo should recognize how important buses are to low-income New Yorkers by investing in more frequent service.

“Three and a half years ago, riders called on the MTA to redesign New York City’s bus network. The MTA heard us and committed to a series of borough-wide redesigns. Unfortunately, so far we’ve yet to see the level of ambition and investment that Bronx riders need. Bronxites are overwhelmly transit-dependent; three of five households lack access to a car. Bronx bus riders earn an average annual income of $20,000 and 95% are people of color.

“The MTA’s redesign of the bus network presented an unprecedented opportunity to improve service for the riders who depend on it most. The plan does include many improvements that will shorten wait times, speed up service, and expand where Bronx residents can go on the bus, including:

  • More off-peak frequency to provide more consistent service throughout the day, significantly improving frequencies on at least 5 routes (Bx4, Bx6, Bx11, Bx13, Bx41)
  • Smart changes to 16 routes that haven’t seen significant change in decades. This includes straightening or streamlining routes like the Bx36 and Bx11 in the central Bronx and improving east-west connectivity in the borough
  • Better stop balancing ensures that buses will spend less time getting stuck in traffic and more time getting riders where they need to go.
  • Two new routes (Bx25, M125)

“As the redesign rolls out, the MTA should work closely with Mayor de Blasio and the DOT to implement the City’s planned bus lanes and other street priority treatments for major Bronx corridors by the end of this year. Further, the MTA should make the most of speed improvements once bus lanes are implemented and schedule more frequent service as we’ve seen on 14th Street. Finally, the agencies also need to coordinate closely to ensure remaining bus stops are equipped with amenities and street safety improvements that enhance the quality of riders’ trips.”

The Bus Turnaround Coalition includes the Riders Alliance, Straphangers Campaign, TransitCenter, and Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

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