Because of consistent delays and overcrowded buses, bus ridership has declined significantly. There has been a 16 percent decline in persons taking that form of public transportation from 2002-2015. Although the city is growing in population, some buses are rarely at full capacity. There is a solution for rider fatigue, and it’s called the “Bus Turnaround Campaign.”
A coalition of city and state elected officials, transport officials and activists have come to together to push for effective fixes that would improve overall bus service. The group includes elected officials such as Borough President Eric Adams, State Sen. Daniel Squadron, Assembly Member Ron Kim, City Council Members Chaim Deutsch, Vincent Gentile, Ben Kallos and Peter Koo, Director of the NYC TransitCenter Tabitha Decker, Executive Director and Tri-State Transportation Campaign Board Member of the MTA Veronica Vanterpool, Executive Director of the Riders Alliance John Raskin, Campaign Associate of NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign Jaqi Cohen, bus rider activist from Queens Jeanne Majors and bus riders.
Already the campaign has released a new report called, “Turnaround: Fixing New York City’s Buses.” In the report are examples of how other cities fixed their bus service decline. It also includes changes that would improve slow, unreliable and overcrowded buses.
The organizations behind this campaign are determined and more than ready to revamp NYC bus service to create a smoother and more efficient form of travel for the community.