A majority of bus drivers favor riders paying fares before they get on the bus and better bus lane enforcement.
To get the perspectives of the people on the front lines of New York's bus ridership woes Alon Levy and Eric Goldwyn surveyed drivers. When asked about improving service, "The top fix they’d like to see is off-board fare collection," Alon Levy and Eric Goldwyn write for CityLab. This would also allow passengers to board through all doors, which drivers also overwhelmingly favor. They also favor better enforcement of bus lanes.
Levy and Goldwyn surveyed 373 Brooklyn drivers for their article. "Brooklyn is perhaps in greatest need of their contributions. It is the most populous borough, with the greatest number of bus riders, and it lacks the subway coverage of Manhattan," Levy and Goldwyn write.
Levy and Goldwyn argue these drivers are in a good position to understand how to improve service and attract riders. "Reformers sometimes assume that labor is always hostile to efficiency and innovation, because of union opposition to measures that could reduce staffing. In the case of buses, such an assumption is unwarranted and counterproductive," they argue.
FULL STORY: To Build a Better Bus System, Ask a Driver
Toledo Bus Service Cut Amid Falling Ridership
TARTA, like many transit services around the United States, has lost riders. Officials hope a new downtown hub can stem that tide, even as the transit authority cuts service.
In New York: No Bus Ridership Without Congestion Relief
Bus ridership has dropped for many years in New York City, but much of the bleeding is concentrated in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Could the congestion problems of the central city be the reason for the declining use of bus transit?
NYC releases new renderings for $5.5 billion Interborough Express
The slated stations will have a modern look, enhanced lighting and improved audio announcements.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association