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Bus Countdown Clocks Coming To Every Borough, Eventually
By
Emma Whitford
Published Jul 1, 2015
Modified Jul 1, 2015
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By
Emma Whitford
Published Jul 1, 2015
Modified Jul 1, 2015
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Thanks to $1.2 million in funding from eight city council members representing Queens, the Bronx, Central and South Brooklyn, and the Upper West Side, countdown clocks may soon proliferate at bus stops across all five boroughs.
That is, once the DOT finishes installing the 100-plus countdown clocks promised about this time last year, when the city council set aside $2.8 million for them.
So far, they've only managed to install three. Indeed, if you've been lucky enough to bask in the golden glow of a bus countdown clock, you've either been waiting for the bus on Staten Island, where the DOT rolled out two trial clocks last summer, or waiting for an express bus to Staten Island. (Manhattan's sole bus countdown clock is near City Hall at the corner of Broadway and Barclays.)
While some have argued that bus countdown clocks are irrelevant in a smartphone, Bus Time world, the Riders Alliance, which rallied for city-wide bus countdown clocks last February, says that this argument disregards elderly riders who fumble with technology, not to mention those who can't afford a smart phone, much less data fees.
"The problem is that many low-income riders don't have access to the wifi," said Riders Alliance spokeswoman Rebecca Bailin. (Granted, apps aside, the MTA also offers schedule updates via text message.)
Samuel Santaella, a Riders Alliance member from Queens, added that even if countdown clocks don't make buses come any faster, they at least help riders hedge their bets. "One time, two scheduled buses didn't arrive," he said. "My sister and I were standing in the freezing cold for at least 40 minutes. If I'd known how far away the bus was, I could've walked to the train or waited inside a store instead of being stranded."
The DOT has agreed to work with each council member to determine exact locations for the clocks, which collect data from GPS technology already installed in all city buses, and cost an estimated $20,000 each to install.
Bed-Stuy council member Robert Cornegy has expressed interest in outfitting the bus stops at the intersection of Utica Avenue and Fulton Street, near the busy Utica Avenue A, C subway.
The DOT has yet to confirm exactly how many stop clocks will be installed, and by when.
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countdown clocks
Emma Whitford
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