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Testimony of
State Senator Liz Krueger Before the
MTA Regarding Service Cuts on the M15
Bus Route September 15, 2003
I am State Senator Liz Krueger
and I represent the 26th Senate District, which includes Midtown
and the East Side of Manhattan. I am
here today to express my opposition to the proposed reduction in the
frequency of service on the M15 line, which runs along First and Second
Avenues in my district. It is clear
that this reduction is related to the introduction of articulated buses on
this line. As I have previously expressed in correspondence with the MTA, I
am concerned that articulated buses, with increased headway, fewer buses
being deployed, and longer journey times, effectively constitutes a reduction
in service for my constituents. The
MTA’s plan involves cutting the number of buses dispatched per hour, so that,
according to the MTA’s own numbers, riders traveling to work in the morning
will endure 60 percent longer waits in between buses. The East
Side of Manhattan has long been underserved by New York’s public
transportation network. While most
residents on the West Side live within a few blocks of a subway, those living
on East End Avenue must walk five long avenues to the Lexington line. MTA officials predict the Second Avenue
subway will not be complete until 2020, and, until then, buses will continue
to be a primary mode of transportation for commuters and elderly and
handicapped residents of the East Side. The
longer wait time and larger buses are significant. Boarding already accounts for 30 percent of time spent on New
York City buses, and riders rate slow service as the number one problem on
city buses. Bus riders will not only
be waiting longer for their buses, they will be waiting longer for passengers
to board the bus, resulting in a longer commute. While the MTA contends that more riders will be served by
larger buses, I believe the negative impacts articulated buses will have on
service will aggravate my constituents and result in decreased ridership. I have
several other concerns regarding articulated buses. Constituents have reported that people in wheelchairs have
great difficulty boarding articulated buses and maneuvering around the fare
collection device and seated passengers in order to reach the securement area. Furthermore, the fact that the articulated
buses bought by the MTA do not utilize green technology undermines efforts to
reduce air pollution in New York City. The
economic development of this city is tied to our ability to create
attractive, rapid public transportation systems to serve our dense
neighborhoods. The MTA’s decision to
reduce service frequency will inevitably result in decreased ridership. I encourage the MTA to examine
alternatives such as Bus Rapid Transit, a system that has been successfully
implemented in cities across the world that could enhance the speed and
reliability of bus transportation while saving the MTA millions of
dollars. I urge the MTA Board to reject
this proposal and preserve current frequency of service on the M15 line. Furthermore, I once again urge the MTA to
reconsider its decision to increase its reliance on articulated buses, which
do not meet the needs of riders, and which are not well adapted to the
crowded streets of New York City. Thank you for allowing me to speak on this
very important issue. |
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