NASHVILLE—Launched one year ago, BUS4NYC is making progress in addressing ticketing, parking and congestion pricing. There’s a lot at stake, since New York City’s regulations can inspire similar measures in cities across the country.
The coalition of private providers of public transportation and related businesses and associations has taken the case to community boards, the city council and state legislators. Their efforts have attracted media attention, with stories in Crain’s New York Business and the New York Daily News.
“We tell people we are in public transit. The reality is private operators can do public transport better than public entities in some cases,” said Patrick W. Condren, co-founder and vice president of BUS4NYC. “We are the original mobility solution. I think we need to think differently.”
EXPO update
Condren gave an update of the group’s efforts during the State Association Summit, part of the UMA 2020 EXPO in January. The topic dominated the meeting, which isn’t surprising since New York City can be a bellwether for the rest of the country.
The goal of BUS4NYC is finding support for public policies that encourage the growth of the private bus company industry, which serves the transportation needs of both commuters and visitors who depend on the motorcoach industry.
There are 3,500 private buses in New York City, compared to 5,000 operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
“We should be treated the same as MTA, as we are carrying the public,” said Condren, adding that the group is lobbying for access to bus lanes and the elimination of tolls. “We are trying to be exempt. We say we are in public transportation, just like MTA. We are trying to get people on board.”
Jeff Goldwasser, sales rep with Amaya-Astron Seating and vice president of the Bus Association of New York State (BANY), wants to see more industry leaders joining the coalition.
“I think everybody who runs a bus to Manhattan, whether from Miami Beach, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. or somewhere else needs to join BUS4NYC, because it’s going to happen all over the country if you don’t stand up and get a voice,” he said.
Fighting fee increase
The Bus Association of New York, a founding member of the coalition, is also working on issues at the state level.
The group lobbied against the state charging a fee for a required six-month inspection. The state initially wanted a $125 per inspection per vehicle, but thanks to the group’s advocacy, the amount was lowered to $85.
Despite efforts to add a few inspection fees in recent years, the group had successfully quashed those plans. The new fee affects about 15 percent of New York motorcoaches because the rest are exempt due to public funding available for vehicles like school buses, which don’t pay fees for inspections.
The money collected won’t be used to improve transportation safety.
“Our governor has a huge deficit he is looking to fill. The fees are going to the deficit. We lowered it but could not defeat it,” said Cam Morris, president of the Bus Association of New York State and manager of Hale Transportation – Oneonta Division.
Vigorous inspections
The New York state bus inspection program is one of the most stringent in the country. BANY is a strong supporter and partner with the state Department of Transportation, Morris noted.
“There is no one in New York that is against inspections. It’s a second pair of eyes when you are dealing with specific safety issues. We have a problem having to pay for it,” Morris said.
She also gave testimony to the State Transportation Committee on Passenger Safety in a hearing on the 2018 limo crash that killed 20 people. As a result of that crash, there is a push for increased regulation on all passenger carriers.
“We educated them on bus transportation and on the inspection of New York state buses every six months,” said Morris, adding that she expects the legislation introduced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to pass. “Now, we have limo companies being punished for an operator not following the rules. Regulations they pass for limos are a concern because they could look at the next passenger vehicle, which is buses.”
Learn more about the work of BUS4NYC at bus4nyc.org.
