Passengers Can Keep Strollers Open On 1K MTA Buses, Officials Say

NEW YORK CITY — Fewer frazzled parents will deal with the hassle of closing up strollers when they board MTA buses, officials said Tuesday.

An open strollers pilot program will expand to 1,000 city buses, or roughly one-sixth the entire fleet, in the coming weeks, said Frank Annicaro, NYC Transit's senior vice president of buses.

"Overwhelmingly positive" feedback from riders and bus drivers on the pilot's first phase prompted officials' to decide to expand, Annicaro said.

"We have no reported incidents related to open strollers on our pilot buses," he said.

Passengers have long had to fold strollers before they could board the city's often-cramped buses.

But MTA officials acknowledged that could be an accessibility issue for largely low-income parents and caregivers who rely on buses. Officials in September launched a test of whether open strollers could work: 140 buses on seven routes would get designated spaces for strollers.

Annicaro said 2,500 open stroller rides in the pilot went off without a problem, aside from some quibbles about adequate signs.

Drivers said allowing open strollers actually often sped up the boarding process, he said.

"They noted there were no real complaints from non-stroller customers," he said.

The expansion will cover all five boroughs, Annicaro said. Route details will come out in the next few weeks, he said.