Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Contact: Garodnick: Cory Epstein (646) 946-4519
NYC DOT: Scott Gastel/Brian Zumhagen (212) 839-4850
Riders Alliance: Rebecca Bailin (516) 592-2869

Council Member Dan Garodnick, Riders Alliance and NYC DOT Announce Nearly $1 Million for 48 Bus Stop Countdown Clocks in Manhattan

Signs provide real-time visual and audible arrival information at bus stops, and are funded by Council Member Garodnick’s nearly $1 million allocation in City Council discretionary funding.
Four bus time signs are currently operational, with 48 in total coming online throughout Council District Four (East Side and Midtown Manhattan).

Upper East Side - Standing in front of a new bus stop countdown clock on the corner of 68th Street and Lexington Avenue, City Council Member Dan Garodnick, DOT Manhattan Borough Commissioner Luis Sanchez and the Riders Alliance announced nearly $1 million dollars for 48 of these new bus time signs throughout Manhattan. The countdown clocks provide both visual and audible bus arrival information, similar to the real-time arrival information New Yorkers have become accustomed to in the subway system.

"With more and more delays below ground, it’s time we stop ignoring our transit above ground," said Council Member Dan Garodnick. "My $1 million investment in 48 bus stop countdown clocks will give riders critical real-time data to reduce stress and help them make the best decisions for their trip. With this allocation, we are moving New York one step closer to having the 21st century bus system its residents expect and deserve.”

“The new Bus Time signs coming online at this bus stop and around the city provide a valuable service by giving riders visual and audible real-time bus arrival information on the street, in addition to the Bus Time information available to riders on their phones,” said DOT Manhattan Borough Commissioner Luis Sanchez. “We thank Council Member Garodnick for funding these installations and helping New York City join cities around the world in providing both on-street and mobile-accessible real time transit information, and we also thank Riders Alliance for helping DOT secure funding.”  

"This expansion of bus stop clocks is an important step that the city has taken to signal to riders that they matter,” said Rebecca Bailin, Campaign Manager at the Riders Alliance. “As we fight to make buses faster and more reliable, improvements like these are about equity: bus riders, who are dis-proportionally lower-income and more elderly than the City as a whole, will be able to plan their trips to accommodate their lives. Thanks to Council Member Garodnick, riders in Midtown and the East Side will have access to this new amenity. We appreciate his work and the work of his colleagues and the City who are helping to bring this improvement to many neighborhoods throughout New York."

Council Member Garodnick provided $950,000 of funding for the project in FY15 to help bring 48 signs to his district. The first four are installed (at 60th Street & 3rd Avenue, 50th Street & 3rd Avenue, 57th Street & 6th Avenue, and 68th Street & Lexington Avenue), and the remaining 44 will be operational by the end of the year.

These Bus Time signs were discussed in the OneNYC plan and in the Mayor’s 2016 State of the City speech. Members of the Riders Alliance, a grassroots organization of subway and bus riders, requested that the City Council allocate discretionary funds to bring Bus Time signs to more communities around the city. In fiscal years 2013 and 2015 alone, 17 elected officials provided nearly $6 million, enough to help NYC DOT install 225 Bus Time signs city-wide.

"With massive strains to our entire transit infrastructure system and bus ridership lower than ever, it's past time we ensure that bus service is dependable, efficient, and easy to use,” said NYS Senator Brad Hoylman. “That has to include making sure riders have the real-time information they need. I'm grateful to Council Member Garodnick for funding these essential upgrades and hopeful that New York City will hasten to adopt countdown clocks throughout our bus system."

“Every step we can take to improve the experience of bus riders is important,” said NYS Senator Liz Krueger. “The new Bus Time signs will be a boon for riders on the East Side, giving them more information to make their trips easier and more efficient. I thank Council Member Garodnick, Commissioner Sanchez, and Riders Alliance for their work in delivering a much-needed improvement.”

“These upgrades to Manhattan’s transit system will significantly improve bus rider experience,” said NYS Assemblymember Dan Quart. “Real-time arrival information helps New Yorkers get from a-to-b in a more efficient and reliable manner. I look forward to the installation of these signs and making our system more user friendly for all. I applaud Council Member Garodnick for securing necessary funding, Riders Alliance for their advocacy, and NYC DOT for making this project possible.”

“Our city has the 11th largest bus fleet in North America: we have over 1,200 buses which operate on 82 routes and carry over 400,000 people weekly.  New Yorkers need to get to where they’re going, on time and efficiently,” said NYS Assemblymember Rebecca A. Seawright. “I commend City Council Member Daniel Garodnick, DOT Manhattan Borough Commissioner Luis Sanchez and Riders Alliance for their leadership on this important initiative to bring 48 real-time visual and audible bus arrival information kiosks to our neighborhood.  Funding for practical solutions to everyday problems is critical to keep the great State of New York moving forward and on schedule!”

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