MTA Calls For More Bus Lanes As NYC Prepares For Reopening
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The MTA is calling for more bus lanes as the city prepares for Phase 1 of reopening Monday.
The agency is urging the city to add 60 more miles of bus lanes and busways across the five boroughs.
That's a 42% increase.
In a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio, the MTA identified areas for new or upgraded bus lanes in the Bronx and Brooklyn and on Staten Island, plus priorities for busways in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.
The MTA also asked the Washington Bridge between the Bronx and Manhattan to be buses only during upcoming construction.
RELATED STORY: Mayor De Blasio Unveils Mass Transit Safety Plan For Phase 1 Of New York City Reopening
MTA officials say speeding up buses will help alleviate subway congestion.
It would also give people more options and the ability to practice social distancing as they head back onto mass transit.
The Transport Workers Union supports the move.
"Now more than ever it's critical that we get bus riders to their destinations as quickly as possible. They have to be given the highest priority on the streets and not slowed down by traffic. TWU Local 100 fully supports the creation of more bus lanes and busways," Local 100 President Tony Utano said in a statement.
