News Release

Bus Riders Unhappy With Crowding On The B6
But Give High Marks for Safety
Group Releases Customer Satisfaction Poll

The NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign released the results of a customer satisfaction poll of B6 bus riders today. The poll showed that 57% of riders surveyed were dissatisfied with crowding on the B6.

Riders on the B6 - which runs between New Lots and Cropsey Avenue along Bay Parkway and Flatlands Avenue - rated cleanliness, safety, reliability, announcements and crowding on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is least satisfactory and 5 most satisfactory (see attached profile). While riders feel the B6 is too crowded, 85% surveyed are satisfied with safety.

The B6 saw an 11.8% increase in ridership with only a 3.1% increase in service between 1999 and 2000. “There are a lot more riders on the B6 and service needs to follow,” said Farouk Abdallah, Straphangers Campaign Field Organizer.

Last month the NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign met with management from the New York City Transit Bus Department to discuss survey findings. “Bus management was receptive - they understand that crowding is a problem on the B6 and we discussed ways to improve it,” said Neysa Pranger, Campaign Coordinator. One of the options discussed was Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - a program that offers a variety of strategies for improving bus service, including:

• Re-designing bus stops to reduce delays from buses maneuvering into and out of bus stops.
• Longer bus stops to eliminate waits for multiple buses to enter the stop.
• Bus lanes with physical means to discourage other vehicles from violating bus lanes.
• Pre-boarding fare payment at high-volume times and places to reduce dwell time at stops.
• Bus priority signals to help late-arriving buses catch up to schedule.
• Scheduling for even spacing while allowing buses to travel as fast as conditions allow.

The bus customer satisfaction poll was made possible by the J.M. Kaplan Fund, a leader in enhancing the quality of day-to-day life throughout the five boroughs of New York through improvements in public facilities and citizen involvement.

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