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
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