Authority Partners With Business Improvement Districts as Part of Broader Campaign to Continue Increasing Ridership as City Begins to Reopen

Utilizing the Bus System Remains the Fastest and Most Convenient Way to Support Small Businesses and Move Around City 

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MTA Bus President Craig Cipriano today joined Bronx Chamber of Commerce President Lisa Sorin and a range of leaders from nearby business improvement districts to highlight the affordability, convenience and reliability of buses as a means of getting around the borough and helping fuel the recovery of its local business scene in the aftermath of the pandemic. The event came on the heels of recent news that ridership across the transit system has risen to its highest levels since front-door boarding resumed in August 2020, with more than 1.2 million bus riders utilizing the system last Thursday. Ridership is expected to grow further as vaccination rates rise and COVID positive rates steeply decline. 

“The city is roaring back and there’s no better way for Bronx residents to get around than by taking the bus,” said MTA Bus President Craig Cipriano. “Since the start of the pandemic, our thousands of bus operators have heroically moved New Yorkers around. Now, we’re seeing customers return in huge numbers. We’re hopeful that the buses from our five depots in the Bronx will serve as a key catalyst that helps fuel the rebound of the local Bronx economy as it works to recover from the economic challenges of the last 15 months.”

"The Westchester Square BID is a major transportation hub in NYC and saw the decrease in ridership during the pandemic,” said Yasmin Cruz, Executive Director of the Westchester Square Business Improvement District. “We are looking ahead now and seeing more people taking public transportation and coming to support our local businesses. We had 96% of our essential businesses open during the shutdown, such as Metro Optics providing emergency optometrists and Essen healthcare and city MD offering COVID testing. "

"During the pandemic, the MTA stepped up In the last 14 months, we have gone through significant changes on how we do our day-to-day business,” said Robert Jaen, Executive Director of the Throggs Neck Business Improvement District. “However, thanks to the strength and the determination of the Throggs Neck Bid BID, the property owners, business owners and private homeowners within the BID have survived and will flourish in the future.”

In the last year alone, the MTA has worked aggressively to improve bus service in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. Just last month, the MTA worked with our partners at NYCDOT to launch the 181st Busway in Washington Heights, which has increased bus speeds by up to 34% improving commute times for five Bronx routes traveling to and from Manhattan.Last July, offset bus lanes were installed on 149St for riders on the BX2, Bx4, Bx17, and Bx19. This installation work has been successful in speeding up trip times in population-rich parts of the borough. Just last month, the MTA worked with NYC DOT to launch the 181st Street Busway in Washington Heights, which has increased bus speeds by up to 34%, improving commute times for five Bronx routes traveling to and from Manhattan.

Wednesday’s event was part of a broader ongoing effort by the MTA to encourage New Yorkers to safely return to mass transit. The Authority has taken unprecedented steps to enhance cleaning of trains, buses and stations, with a rigorous round-the-clock cleaning efforts having been undertaken and trials of ultraviolet light disinfecting and air purification technology. Returning customers will also notice enhanced convenience of fare payment. Alongside MetroCard readers, the MTA last year completed rollout of the tap-and-go OMNY fare payment system at all subway stations and on all buses. With OMNY, customers need not purchase a card from the MTA, but can pay with the tap of a credit or debit card, phone, or even watch.