MTA to Shake Up Bus Transport in All 5 Boroughs

The MTA is planning an overhaul of its bus service. It says it’s responding to low bus ridership which has decreased by 14% since 2007. The MTA is making it easier to pay. By 2020, the MTA plans to have tap-to-pay card readers at all bus doors. MTA says New York City buses are some of the slowest in the world. To speed them up, it will create more bus-only lanes. Traffic lights will get technology that will allow them to recognize and prioritize busses. To increase space on select routes it will test double-decker busses this spring between Manhattan and Staten Island. [[New York City Resident]] “I definitely want it to be more scheduled because sometimes I wait like 2 minutes for a bus and sometimes I wait like 20 minutes.”   Instead of waiting for a full bus a new MTA app will tell riders how many seats are available. NYC Transit President Andy Byford expects improving bus service will cut down on congestion.