City Transit * USA - New York

* New York City Transit is reinstating 19 classic buses, including a 1917 wood bodied double-decker, on routes through Manhattan and Queens for the holidays

New York,NY,USA -AP/Crains's New York -December 01, 2008: -- The agency that runs New York City's public bus system is bringing back some classic coaches that commuters can ride for the price of a regular fare... New York City Transit's vintage fleet consists of 19 buses such as a 1917 wood-bodied double-decker called the Queen Anne and a 1956 model that was the first to have air conditioning... Department of Buses Senior Vice President Joseph Smith says, the older buses have a lot of charm but the current ones offer tremendous improvements in comfort and efficiency... The vintage buses are in service on several Manhattan and Queens routes weekday rush hours during the holiday season...


* No free rides: State, city and businesses must step up to save MTA

New York,NY,USA -The New York Daily News, by Gene Russianoff -December 1st 2008: -- Gov. Paterson and state legislative leaders have a stark choice to make on metropolitan area transit... Should they let millions of subway and bus riders and suburban commuters pay a much higher fare and suffer severe service cuts in order to bail out New York corporations, property sellers and drivers? Or, do they follow a 30-year tradition that asks the downstate region - which benefits from transit - to contribute to maintaining the system? ... The national average farebox ratio for large transit systems was 37% in 2006, according to the Federal Transit Administration. Among other cities, ratios can range from 29% (Boston) to 43% (Chicago), 37% (Philadelphia), 51% (San Francisco) and 40% (Washington)... At the same time, the MTA is proposing hundreds of millions of dollars in horrendous cuts to service, maintenance and cleaning, with slower trips, more crowding, longer waits and - in some cases - no service at all... Riders are being asked to pay much higher fares for vastly reduced service to make up hundreds of millions of dollars that used to come from the dedicated transit taxes... There are several options, from new tolls to corporate taxes. City Controller William Thompson has suggested following the lead of other cities and increasing car registration fees. A commission appointed by Paterson is also due out soon with recommendations... Back in the 1970s, poorly maintained subways, buses and commuter lines were both a cause and a symbol of the region's sluggish economy and tough conditions. In 2008, this network is an engine that can keep New York livable. That requires all those who gain from our transit system to help to keep it moving forward...