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May 15, 2008
It's No Hallucination: Polka-Dot Buses Aim to Cut Travel Time
By JENNIFER MASCIA
No, there are no illegal drugs being handed out as passengers begin their morning commutes: For the past few weeks, those seats on the M23 crosstown bus really have been decorated with light and dark blue bubbles.
The new upholstery is probably the most conspicuous feature of Select Bus Service, an experimental project by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, with the support of the city and state Departments of Transportation, to improve service on congested routes.
The project, the result of several years of study, draws on several elements of Bus Rapid Transit, a system of bus operating practices used in cities around the world. The system's main elements will eventually include bus shelters where passengers pay the fare before boarding; fewer stops and greater distances between stops; dedicated bus lanes with a distinctive color and lettering; direct routes with frequent service that supplements, but does not replace, regular local bus service; and electronic signals that give the buses priority (a few extra seconds) if a traffic signal is about to switch, say, to yellow from green.
If the project is successful and put into place citywide, it could prove to be a great relief for customers who have long complained about the snail-like pace of city buses, especially the crosstown buses in Manhattan. It could also mark one of the starkest changes for bus riders, who for more than a century have been accustomed to dropping their change - or now, dipping a MetroCard - into the fare box upon boarding.
Under the new system, customers will pay before boarding, collecting a proof of purchase from a fare dispenser, similar to a MetroCard vending machine or Muni-Meter parking ticket machine, in the bus shelter.
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THOMPSON REPORT: MTA DELAYS IN REPAIRING AND FUNDING NYC RAILWAYS PUT RIDERS AT RISK
Urges adding $673 million more for NYC Transit repair and upgrade work
Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today issued a report that faults the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for jeopardizing the safety and security of riders by consistently delaying critical infrastructure work in New York City.
A Review of MTA New York City Transit "State of Good Repair" Capital Expenditures found that since 1982, when the first MTA Five-Year Capital Plan was issued, large disparities have emerged between the commuter railroads and New York City Transit (NYC Transit) in achieving what the MTA itself considers a "State of Good Repair."
"New Yorkers are being shortchanged," Thompson said. "The MTA's efforts to bring the bus and subway system to a State of Good Repair have progressed slowly, raising concerns about rider safety and security. Service still has not reached the levels of reliability, safety and comfort New Yorkers require and deserve."
By JEREMY OLSHAN
February 2, 2007 -- Vital repairs to the city's subway system are routinely postponed as suburban projects hog the MTA gravy train, the city comptroller charged yesterday.
City subways and buses account for 94 percent of MTA riders but get only 75.5 percent of the agency's $15 billion five-year capital budget, according to a report from Comptroller Bill Thompson.
"New Yorkers are being shortchanged," Thompson said while proposing raising the city's capital-funds share to 80 percent - an infusion of $673 million.
Although MTA officials said they needed time to review the report and could not comment, Thompson said he's confident MTA CEO Elliot Sander and Gov. Spitzer will correct the situation.