Bronx Transportation Town Hall

Transportation Alternatives Rider Rebellion

By Lennin Reyes

The Bronx Journal Staff Writer

The message of the Bronx Transportation Town Hall, held mid-April in Fordham, was that it was up to the people to fight for their right to an efficient, economical bus and subway system. During the forum, sponsored by Transportation Alternatives and State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Bronxites discussed rate hikes and service cuts.

One major reason for the anger amongst Bronxites was the lack of transparency between commuters and the MTA board. “Whenever the MTA decides to raise fares, they hold board meetings,” campaign manager Ya-Ting Liu said. “While riders speak out against raising the fares, board members have already decided to raise the fares.” Liu, Senator Rivera, and others said that residents need to gather together to speak out against fare hikes before any board meetings occur.

State Senator Gustavo Rivera

Citizens can make an impact, said Liu, citing as an example that politicians and residents were able to fight for restored bus service following the 2010 service cuts. “In the southeast Bronx, Councilman James Vacca and residents got together to get the Bx24 to run to Westchester Square after the Bx14 was cut in June 2010,” Liu said. “If we gathered to fight against any MTA cuts, we might be able to add service on routes such as the Bx1/2, which are slated to get service reductions in the summer,” Bronx Community Board 5 member Bernice Williams said.

Organizers also discussed some of the ways the MTA has improved service with the Bx12 Select Bus Service. “Prior to its implementation in 2008, the old Bx12 Limited would stay at a stop for five minutes to pick up passengers,” Transportation Alternatives Communications Coordinator Joseph Ferris said. “Since then, the Bx12 Select Bus Service has received excellent reviews, with 96 percent of buses being on time and clean,” Liu added.

Riders hope that the Select Bus Service expands to other high-volume corridors, such as Webster Avenue or Grand Concourse. “The SBS would be great for either Webster or the Concourse,” both Williams and Senator Rivera said. “The only thing us residents need to do is to gather support for these services.” This must be an ongoing discussion for Bronxites, they said. “This will not be the last meeting we have about transit,” said Senator Rivera.