By Philip Newman
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has combined under one manager its three bus lines, including the former private lines serving hundreds of thousands of Queens riders.
The move came as Tom Savage, the first to manage the MTA Bus Co., which absorbed the private buses, retired last month after 37 years with the transit agency.
The MTA said Joseph Smith, senior vice president of New York City Transit bus lines, had taken over all MTA bus lines, including MTA Bus., New York Transit Buses and Long Island Bus.
“By streamlining the management of our bus companies we will eliminate redundancies, improve efficiency and service and save money,” said Elliot Sander, MTA executive director and chief executive officer.
“This initiative builds on the early success of our subway general manager program, and we will continue to identify and implement ways to become more efficient and improve service for our customers. Unifying bus operations is also a big first step toward creating a truly regional transportation network and is a critical part of our institutional transformation agenda.”
Savage presided over the merger of the seven privately owned bus lines, including 300,000 riders in Queens, into the MTA system.
The city Department of Transportation operated and subsidized the private bus linesGreen Bus Lines, Jamaica Bus, Triboro Coach, Liberty Lines, Queens Surface Corp, New York Bus Service and Command Bus Linesamid complaints about frequent breakdowns, long waits and overcrowding that sometimes resulted in fisticuffs among frustrated riders and an attack against a driver.
The changeover from private ownership to the MTA was finally accomplished on Feb. 20, 2006.
Savage earlier managed the integration of the former Transit Police into the regular ranks of the New York Police Department.
The Transit Police was established as a separate unit from the NYPD in 1949, then reintegrated into the police in 1995 under the administration of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 136.
