New York MTA Cuts Bus Service

The transit crisis continues.

1 minute read

September 4, 2022, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


New York City Winter

Cemil Aksoy / Shutterstock

“New York City bus riders are in for more pain as Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials [in August] quietly cut service across the five boroughs,” reports Clayton Guse in a paywalled article for the New York Daily News.

The changes are intended to address the transit agency’s ongoing fiscal crisis, according to the article. MTA officials in July admitted that federal relief funds expected to last the agency through 2025 are running out faster than expected as ridership continues to stay beloe pre-pandemic levels.

Guse’s reporting is sourced from an internal email leaked to the publication, so there is some question about the reasoning behind the service cuts.

“An MTA spokesman denied the email’s assertion that not filling some bus driver shifts is meant to save money and cut service, and instead stated that the agency is trying to make sure it isn’t paying drivers when they are not needed,” writes Guse.

Regardless of the reasoning, a lack of operators is continuing to impact service levels on New York buses, just like in less transit-dependent cities around the country.

“The MTA has for more than two years struggled to put out full bus service due to a shortage of drivers. A hiring freeze put in place during the first year of the pandemic decimated the agency’s headcounts,” explains Guse.

Thursday, August 18, 2022 in New York Daily News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

"Units for sale - contact your local realtor" sign in front of homes.

‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods

A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.

4 hours ago - Next City

Turquoise blue Pyramid Lake near Reno, Nevada.

Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan

A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.

5 hours ago - Inside Climate News

Alpine Recreation Center sign in park in Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA.

More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown

Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.

6 hours ago - American Community Media

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.