Six mayoral candidates gathered at a forum hosted by the advocacy group Riders Alliance to discuss ways to improve the sluggish bus service in New York City. With many routes running at just 5 mph, the candidates shared their plans to speed up bus travel. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie called for a dedicated busway along Flatbush Avenue, while City Comptroller Brad Lander suggested one on 34th Street in Manhattan.
State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani declared his commitment to not allowing local opposition to kill bus projects, taking a jab at Mayor Eric Adams for canceling a bus lane project after pressure from local businesses. Mamdani also proposed making buses free to ride, a move objected by MTA officials who argue that fares are needed to run the service.
Other candidates proposed extending the Interborough Express light rail line into the Bronx and increasing the frequency of trains and buses. They also discussed the possibility of raising the threshold for Fair Fares, a program that provides half-priced fares for low-income New Yorkers, in order to combat fare evasion.
Transit advocates have expressed skepticism towards mayoral promises, citing Adams’ lack of progress on new bus projects. The forum ended with a question from a reader about the MTA workers who manage crowds at busy subway stations. The answer explained that these platform controllers are deployed to ensure efficient boarding and disembarking of trains, similar to the practices seen in Tokyo’s subway system.
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Photo credit gothamist.com