The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the State of New York, serving 12 counties in southeastern New York, including New York City.
Thousands of new buses will roll on to city streets over the next five years, complete with high-tech amenities and a revamped aesthetic.
"I think it's very attractive; it has that European flair to it," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said of the bus model Tuesday. "It has almost a Ferrari-like look."
Buses will be outfitted with between 35 and 55 USB charging ports, as well as Wi-Fi and two or three LCD information screens.
The vehicles will cost $1.3 billion and replace more than 40% of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's fleet. Twenty-three new Federally funded buses are coming next month, MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast said at a press conference in midtown, and 52 more will be introduced by the end of the year.
The Wi-Fi and ports together add $5,000 to the cost of each $755,000 bus, and the screens add $15,000, Prendergast said.
Later this year, old buses in the fleet will begin to be retrofitted with Wi-Fi and USB charging ports.
The new buses will debut in Queens before being introduced across the entire system.
The buses' new look represents "forward movement and innovation," according to Prendergast. The technology-friendly vehicles will appeal to smartphone-attached millennials, the Chairman said.
Canadian company New Flyer Industries will build the first 75 buses. It will open up a shop in western New York to make parts for them.
The Governor has yet to reveal how the state will fund the balance of the MTA's five-year capital plan, which has transit advocates worried that the state either won't come up with the money or will simply have the MTA take on more debt, essentially passing the cost on to riders. Cuomo pledged $8.3 billion to close the plan's deficit.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
No comments:
Post a Comment