The MTA mapped out where 367 new buses will roll during congestion pricing, if all goes well for the mayor's plan. Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave out the map (Download file) to the U.S. Department of Transportation during a lobbying trip there today. Twelve new routes and expanded existing local and express lines are part of the plan. The mayor and MTA hope to former drivers not willing to pay the driving tax get on the buses. The new bus routes are:
Canarsie to Flatbush Avenue Local
Metropolitan Avenue to Williamsburg Bridge to Lower Manhattan Local
Bay Ridge Express
Northeast Bronx to Lower Manhattan Express, 3 routes
Astoria to Queensboro Bridge to Manhattan Local
College Point to Manhattan Express
Northern Boulevard to 61st Street to Woodside LIRR Local
Northeast Queens to Lower Manhattan Express, 3 routes
Also in the congestion pricing saga, the Straphangers Campaign spoke out against a possible assembly bill from Rory Lancman (D-Queens):
First, several of the proposals - expanded express bus service, increased block the box enforcement, camera enforcement of bus lanes - are simply ripped from the pages of the Mayor's PlaNYC proposal. While Lancman deserves commendation for endorsing these worthy objectives, he does not deserve credit for originality.Second, Lancman fails to identify a credible source of funding for
badly needed transit capacity. Under his proposal, increased express
bus service - a very expensive, but quick way of increasing capacity -
would be funded through "authorizing and appropriating $500 million."
Where will this money come from?
