MTA’s Peak-Hour Expansion of Bus Fleet Begins Today
Starting today, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will roll out 61 additional buses at peak commuter hours as part of the embattled agency’s efforts to comply with court-ordered reductions in passenger crowding.
The buses are among a total of 166 added to MTA lines this year. They are intended to reduce the numbers of people forced to stand on board.
On Saturday, an MTA spokesman hailed the additional buses as just one of a series of improvements to the county’s bus fleet. Critics, however, pointed out that the agency is continuing a battle in court to overturn demands that it add 88 more buses by the end of this year.
The reason for the fight, according to MTA spokesman Marc Littman, is that the agency does not have the funds to operate more buses. “We’re already facing an operating deficit of up to $200 million over the next five years,” Littman said.
Eric Mann, a member of the Bus Riders Union, said the bus system needs an infusion of 500 new buses immediately. “There have been slight improvements, but overcrowding at Christmas is going to be severe,” Mann said. “The MTA is still very far away from purchasing the number of buses necessary.”
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