By Philip Newman
The takeover of Triboro Coach lines this past weekend was the final step in the takeover of the last private bus lines in New York City. The private lines-Command, Triboro, Queens Surface, Green, Jamaica, Liberty and New York- serve areas of Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx, but by far the largest ridership is in Queens. Triboro, Green, Command and Jamaica were owned by the Transit Alliance headed by Jerome Cooper, a Jamaica attorney.Triboro Coach buses served Elmhurst, Forest Hill, Jackson Heights, Howard Beach, Glendale and other parts of western Queens. The last line to be absorbed into MTA control had 13 local and five express routes while using nearly 240 buses The seven private lines operated more than 700 buses, many of them more than 20 years old and dilapidated to the extent that breakdowns were common and service had been deteriorating for years. This caused longer and longer waits for tens of thousands of riders in eastern Queens where there is little subway service. City Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing), chairman of the City Council Transportation Committee, held a series of public hearings that included testimony about the plight of riders. Bus drivers told of incidents that included struggles by passengers to get aboard already jammed buses and one account of a bus operator who was beaten by an irate passenger. Liu reminded City Hall that it had failed to meet six self-imposed deadlines for the takeover “while disrespected and beleaguered riders suffered from poor service and long waits.” Liu had repeatedly urged Mayor Michael Bloomberg to release for service more than 100 new buses which were stored idle in garages in College Point and the Bronx. The new buses and their operators will not actually be part of the New York City Transit Authority as are all other city buses are but rather of the MTA Bus Co., an entity created for the takeover. Some critics of the MTA have suggested the agency plans to cut many routes, particularly express routes.The last lines to be absorbed into MTA control operated on 13 local and five express routes using nearly 240 busesReach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300 Ext. 136.
