News Release: October 12, 2010
Contact: Joe Soldevere, (212) 860-0606
New York, NY — On October 10, 2010, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney
(D, Manhattan/Queens) joined State Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblyman
Micah Kellner in Turtle Bay to celebrate the launch of the M15 Select
Bus Service (SBS) on First and Second Avenues, and to call on the MTA
to re-evaluate the crosstown service cuts made in June to the M104,
M27, and M50 on late nights and weekends.
Maloney told area residents, “I’m delighted be here, at the stop in
Turtle Bay we worked together to restore, to celebrate the launch of
Select Bus Service on the East Side. The unique features of these
buses and the streamlined route will afford riders faster and more
comfortable commutes north and south. However, I am still concerned
that crippling service cuts have left East Midtown with no crosstown
service outside of business hours. I will not stop fighting until
residents of this community have access to convenient and reliable
transportation to take them anywhere in the city.”
“I’ve been working to bring Bus Rapid Transit to our underserved East
Side transportation corridors of Manhattan for many years, hosting
forums and working closely with transportation advocates,” said
Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan). “While we continue to urge MTA to
restore the cuts to our crosstown lines, I am delighted to see the
implementation of our work for Select Bus Service today.”
“Select Bus Service will be great for the East Side,” said Assembly
Member Micah Z. Kellner. “But crosstown lines serving the East Side
have been hit with disastrous cuts. Unless the MTA restores service to
these lines, we won’t get the full benefit of SBS and this
neighborhood will continue to be under-served by mass transit.”
Background:
Select Bus Service is a new program from the MTA that incorporates
attributes of rail transit combined with the flexibility and cost
advantages of bus transit. Select Bus Service has unique features,
such as requiring riders to pay before they board and allowing
passengers to board from any door. The buses themselves are a
low-floor design, meaning that they are closer to the ground, which
allows for easier loading and unloading of passengers. Additionally,
buses enjoy signal priority and designated bus lanes, making them
faster and more reliable.
Watch a video explaining the new M15 Select Bus Service:
