MTA’s Bus-y Business

Between September, 1997 & 2007, bus riders grew 22% yet service was increased by only 15%. As one might have guessed, service in Manhattan and Staten Island fared better than bus service in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. The New York City Transit Authority says ridership was depressed in the mid nineties. They think today’s service levels are at the correct levels. Gene Russianoff, of the Straphangers Campaign disagrees. He believes the surge in bus travel was not met with the proper increase in buses. So the question is, are today’s commuters riding comfortably on the bus … or being tossed in front of it?

Tunneling Towards Tomorrow

One day in 2015 (Scheduled end date but we all know it be later.), a Long Island Rail Road tunnel to Grand Central Station is to be completed. The first leg of that $7.2 billion LIRR tunnel was recently dug. The next section should be completed by the end of this summer. Both MTA chief Elliot Sander and Gene Russianoff of the Straphangars Campaign are happily on-board with the project. It's nice to see positive action below ground that will benefit New York City. It's much preferable to the typical head-in-the-sand, ostrich behavior by government agencies when it comes to obtaining favorable results.