Pols pushing improving Express Buses

As talk of bringing congestion pricing to New York City continues, Senators Toby Ann Stavisky and Jeff Klein joined with City Councilmember John Liu outside Metropolitan Transit Authority headquarters in Manhattan to reinforce their belief that better express bus service is what the City needs to tackle its traffic troubles.
If the city is truly concerned with congestion in Manhattan, imposing a tax for driving into Manhattan is not the answer. Instead, increasing and improving express bus service is an ideal first step,” said Stavisky, a member of the Senate Transportation Committee.
On Monday, December 18, the trio released the results of an informal survey done by Stavisky and Klein staffers recently in response to repeated complaints of tardy and inefficient service in both Queens and the Bronx. Approximately 175 riders on express bus routes to Manhattan including the QM2 and QM4 from Bay Terrace in Bayside and Electchester in Fresh Meadows respectively completed surveys.
Stavisky said she was not surprised that surveys came back indicating that inconsistent service was the riders' top complaint.
&#8220The last time I tried to use an express bus, I waited and waited and it didn't come,” she said, explaining that she eventually went home to get her car because she had to get to a meeting and had no more time to spare.
Based on their findings, the three recommended that the MTA improve its on-time service, reinstitute express bus service to the Financial District, hire more dispatchers to avoid bus traffic jams, increase weekend trips, make MetroCards available by mail throughout the city and stop its coin-only payment policy on buses.
&#8220Express bus service is not a luxury; it is a vital transportation option for many New Yorkers who commute to work,” said Liu, who chairs the City Council Transportation Committee.”
&#8220We should be talking about express bus expansion - not reductions in service - especially if we are serious about getting people out of their cars and reducing traffic congestion.”
Stavisky, Klein and Liu called on the MTA to earmark money from its $938 million surplus to make the necessary changes.
&#8220In exchange for poor service and curtailed schedules people are paying more,” Stavisky said, referring to the express bus fare increase from $4 to $5 in February 2005. &#8220They should be getting better service.”
According to James Anyansi, a spokesperson for MTA NYC Transit, the $5 fare still falls short of the $11.98 per ride that it costs the MTA to provide express bus service. He said that after incorporating MetroCard discounts passengers pay an average of $3.86 per ride - about 32 percent of its actual cost.
&#8220It is not only expensive for our customers, it is expensive for us,” Anyansi said.