New York City Transit Riders Council
PRESS RELEASE #329
March 23, 2001
NEW YORK CITY TRANST RIDERS COUNCIL RELEASES POLICY STATEMENT ON THE USE OF ARTICULATED BUSES IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
The New York City Transit Riders Council today released a policy statement on the use of articulated buses in the borough of Manhattan by NYC Transit. The statement is the result of field research done by the Council in late 2000 to gauge the reliability of the M79 and M86 crosstown routes, which were the first of several routes planned to be converted to articulated service by the transit agency.
Articulated buses are longer than standard buses and can accommodate more passengers. However, their use has generated strong responses from riders, both positive and negative, leading the Transit Riders Council to examine the subject.
The statement describes the Council's concerns regarding the buses and makes recommendations for improvement on the part of NYC Transit. Recommendations to NYC Transit include, in summary:
shortening headways on the M23, M79, and M86 crosstown routes at least to the intervals that existed before the conversion of these routes to articulated service;
revising loading guidelines to meet recent unprecedented ridership levels;
implementing a marketing campaign to urge able-bodied riders to exit via the rear door;
examining the feasibility of allowing rear-door boardings;
examining the feasibility of installing rear-view video monitoring systems;
examining the feasibility of using the buses predominantly on routes where major loading points are spaced farther apart than on existing local crosstown routes;
developing internal guidelines for stepwell dimensions that will consistently provide for wide, deep, short stairs at both the front and the rear of buses;
working with NYPDwhich assumes all legal responsibility for the enforcement of parking regulationsto help them recognize the importance of reliable surface transit operation for the socioeconomic health of New York City and make parking enforcement at bus stops and along bus routes a priority;
and undertaking a rider preference survey to officially gauge riders' feelings about the buses.
DOWNLOAD THE FULL STATEMENT (PDF format)
