FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, October 19, 2017

CONTACT: Jon Orcutt, TransitCenter | 718-383-6631 | [email protected] Pete Donohue, TWU Local 100 | 917-796-8176 | [email protected] Corey Bearak, ATU Local 1056 & 726 | 718-343-6779 | [email protected]

At Rally Outside MTA HQ, Bus Operators and Bus Riders Unite to Demand MTA Institute New Policy of All-Door Boarding on Buses Citywide

Boarding Through All Doors Would Make Buses Safer for Operators and Faster for Riders; MTA Has Timely Opportunity with New Post-MetroCard Fare System

New York, NY—A powerful new coalition of bus operators, bus riders, leading transit unions, elected officials, and transit advocates gathered outside MTA headquarters today to demand that the MTA move to a new system of letting riders board through all doors on buses citywide, a system that will make buses safer for operators and faster and more reliable for riders. The MTA has a timely opportunity to implement this change when it moves to a new post-MetroCard fare payment system—a contract that the MTA might award as early as next week’s board meeting.

The current system puts operators in the position of monitoring fare payment and reminding riders of the fare, which can lead to conflict with passengers. In other cities that have moved to all-door boarding, bus operator experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. In Seattle, when buses started using all-door boarding at times of peak service, 75% of bus operators approved, especially citing the reduction in conflicts with passengers.

Advocates also noted the benefits that all door boarding would bring for riders, citing the MTA’s own Select Bus Service as a powerful illustration of how much more quickly buses can move when riders are able to board through all doors. On the M15, Bx12 and B44, the MTA was able to reduce the time buses spend waiting at bus stops by 40%. In San Francisco, which implemented all door boarding system-wide in 2012, there has been a 38% reduction in boarding time.

Advocates also cited evidence from New York and other cities demonstrating that all door boarding does not lead to increased fare evasion. Fare evasion reductions of 48- 80% have been experienced on NYC Select Bus Service routes M15, Bx12, M34, Bx41, and B44 which have all door boarding and proof of payment. Likewise, San Francisco has seen a 17% decline in fare evasion rates with the implementation of all door boarding and proof of payment.

Transit unions and advocates hope that improvements to bus service can help the 2.5 million New Yorkers who ride a bus on an average weekday and arrest the decline in ridership that has occurred in recent years as riders have increasingly abandoned a slow, unreliable form of transit. In New York City, bus ridership declined by 16% between 2002 and 2015.

“Bus operators are not enforcement officers- but the MTA doesn’t expect them to turn a blind eye to farebeating either,” said Tony Utano, President of TWU Local 100. “They monitor the farebox and are instructed to remind customers of the fare. The sad reality is that bus operators who merely suggest the fare be paid can have a hot cup of coffee or a punch thrown at them, or worse. “

Mark Henry, President and Business Agent for Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local No. 1056, and Chair, ATU Legislative Conference Board, stated: “At almost every opportunity discussing public transit, ATU emphasizes that smartly investing in public transit keys growth in the economy and job creation. With the MTA moving towards smarter fare card it makes sense to move full speed towards all-door boarding for buses.”

Bennie Caughman, President/ Business Agent, Amalgamated Transit Union Local No. 1179, stated: “Building in smarter public transit options using buses also assists many residents who currently rely on personal vehicles. While we wait for all-door boarding we also need to look at applying aspects of SBS all-door boarding where we can do so today.”

“Buses currently spend 22% of their time waiting at stops as riders board one-by-one through a single door, instead of getting riders where they need to go, said Tabitha Decker, Deputy Executive Director of Transit Center. “Moving to a new policy of all- door boarding throughout the bus system, like San Francisco already has and Boston will soon, would help both operators and riders. Operators and riders are united here today to demand that change.”

Stephanie Burgos-Veras, a community organizer with the Riders Alliance, said, "Slow and unreliable bus service isn't just a technical problem. It's also a human problem, and it has real consequences in people's day-to-day lives. Poor bus service can lead to riders missing appointments, losing pay and sometimes even getting fired. Governor Cuomo, the MTA, and the City should be doing everything they can to make bus service faster and more reliable. Part of the solution is all-door boarding, a proven method that has worked elsewhere and even in New York." "I’ve seen all-door boarding work with my own eyes. The M15 Select Bus Service has been a huge success, the bus comes, everyone gets on and it goes. We should have the feature citywide,” said Riders Alliance member Beth Childs, an Upper East Side resident. "Governor Cuomo and MTA are responsible. They can help senior citizens get around by making buses faster and more reliable."

"As a small business owner, I don't have time to wait around for buses. I’ve given up on buses because they are slow, packed, and unreliable. Now I take the Long Island Railroad, which costs me money that I don’t have,” said Riders Alliance member Natasha Saunders from Eastern Queens. “I got out of the bus by paying extra, but not everyone can do that. My community relies entirely on buses and we need them to work. All-door boarding can make buses work better for everyone."

"A new MetroCard replacement isn't just another card for riders to carry around--it could revolutionize the way we use public transit, from contactless entry to being able to use your bank cards and smartphones to get on public transit,” said Nick Sifuentes, Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “But a more modern system is only possible if the MTA gets creative about making riders' commutes more efficient. The first thing the MTA should do is commit to all-door boarding on buses citywide, which will speed up riders' bus commutes significantly."

Jaqi Cohen, Campaign Coordinator for the Straphangers Campaign, stated: "The MTA needs an open door policy. Bus riders and operators agree that all-door boarding makes for a faster and safer ride, and it should be made a priority as the MTA rolls out its new fare payment system."

###

TWU Local 100 represents approximately 40,000 bus and subway workers in NYC. Local 100 also represents tour bus, school bus and CitiBike workers in NYC, and school bus and Liberty Lines workers in Westchester.

ATU Local 1056 represents drivers and mechanics who work for MTA New York City Transit's Queens Bus Divisions.

ATU Local 1179 members are bus operators and mechanics who work respectively for the MTA Bus division.

The Bus Turnaround Coalition is a group of diverse New Yorkers determined to turn around the poor service that plagues the city's bus system and the 2.5 million rides taken on it every weekday. We are winning increased attention from our leaders and greater resources for high quality, fast and reliable bus service for all neighborhoods in New York City.

Bus Turnaround Coalition member organizations include:

TransitCenter (www.transitcenter.org) is a foundation committed to improving urban mobility through research, advocacy, and grantmaking that empowers communities, policymakers, and riders.

Riders Alliance (http://www.ridersny.org) is a grassroots organization of subway and bus riders, pushing for better service at affordable fares and a stronger public investment in mass transit.

The Riders Alliance recently published "The Woes on the Bus," a collection of real-life stories from bus riders about the consequences of poor bus service in their lives. The collection can be found at: http://www.ridersny.org/the-woes-on-the-bus/

Tri-State Transportation Campaign (http://www.tstc.org) is a nonprofit advocacy organization working toward a more balanced, transit-friendly and equitable transportation network in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Straphangers Campaign (http://www.straphangers.org), a project of the New York Public Interest Research Group, has advocated for New York’s public transit system since 1979.