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Crosstown Bus Rides Could Get Slower Without Fares
By
Billy Parker
Published Aug 5, 2009
Modified Aug 5, 2009
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By
Billy Parker
Published Aug 5, 2009
Modified Aug 5, 2009
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Would making crosstown buses free actually cause the congested midtown rides go any faster? Mayor Bloomberg proposed removing fares from crowded crosstown lines as the most dramatic suggestion of his comprehensive transit plan,"Move NYC," which was released Monday as his most significant campaign proposal yet. The Times calls the plan "all the pleasures of a congestion fee without that troublesome fee" and suggests that people's love of all things free means "New Yorkers are likely to go out of their way for the privilege of being taken for a free ride across town." Bloomberg suggested that eliminating the fares might reduce the amount of buses needed since the easier passage could get them moving quicker in his estimation. The News decided to see just how slow the crosstown buses currently are by sending two reporters across 50th at midday—one by foot and one on the M50. The bus beat the walker across its 1.7 mile route, only taking 21 minutes to the pedestrian's 29. The Straphangers Campaign Gene Russianoff says, "That's great...but the midtown buses stink and are still abysmally slow."
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crosstown buses
gene russianoff
m50
mayor bloomberg
midtown
move nyc
Billy Parker
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