MTA Gets on the Bus

MAYOR BLOOMBERG and Governor Pataki announced last week that the operation of seven private bus lines in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx will be transferred to the MTA by July 1, 2004. This should have come as welcome news to the 100,000 people who use the buses to travel to and from their under-serviced neighborhoods. As anyone who's ever taken a ride with Green Bus or Triboro Coach can attest, the things aren't in the best of shape. Almost one third of the buses are 17 years or older and many are not handicapped-accessible. Also, the service sucks. With the city continuing to fully subsidize the bus service while eliminating costs paid to the private operators, this rare case of de-privatizing what never should have been privatized in the first place should have been a happy occasion for bus commuters meaning better days ahead.

The MTA has agreed to assume all union employees and honor existing collective bargaining agreements. They even plan to keep the same crappy buses for a while. The only thing that will change immediately is-yes sir-the cost of a bumpy ride, up from $1.50 to the standard MTA fare of $2. As part of the deal, the city has agreed to support the MTA's controversial capital plan amendments, including the accelerated purchase of new Metro-North Railroad cars.

Here's an idea: How about we get rid of those bus routes altogether and offer rail service all the way up to Co-op City and Canarsie? Surely the MTA could find a bond to float for that.