Advocates Release Report Card on Every MTA Bus Route in the City

NEW YORK, NY — Commuters sitting on an MTA bus right now have plenty of time to check out a new website grading all of the city's bus routes, at least according to the group's data. Transit Center, Riders Alliance, Tri-State Transportation Campaign and the Straphangers Campaign united to launch the new site on the same day an oversight hearing was held on bus service at the New York City Council.

The website is an extension of the plan the groups released this summer titled, "Turnaround: Fixing New York City's Buses." The data, the groups say, only highlight how badly the city needs to focus on fixing bus service in the city.

The website measures each of the nearly 300 bus routes in the city. They call it a report card, and while they are not give an actual grade, they do rank ridership by borough. They are broken down in three categories: average speed, "bus bunching" (how often buses get off schedule) and ridership. You are also given a link to share the reports on Facebook and Twitter or get involved with the groups' campaign.

The site also illustrates through story what they call the normal trips of three different New York City bus commuters. The stories are done to highlight how beneficial the groups' plan to overhaul bus routes could be.

The report, released in July, highlights a number of changes that could be made to buses in order to improve service. Those changes include:

• The city should redesign overly complex bus routes, optimize the location of stops, and create new rapid service lines on crowded routes
• Riders should be able to tap a card to pay for a bus ride
• The city should provide more information to bus dispatchers so buses can be adjusted in real-time when routes are disrupted
• New dedicated bus lanes should be created so buses can avoid traffic
• Countdown clocks should be installed at stops and on buses so passengers can plan their commute more effectively

Photo Credit: Adam E. Moreira via Wikimedia Commons