East side officials: Don’t cut the M15 Bus Letter

Elected officials on the Upper East Side have teamed up to protest planned service changes to the M15 bus, named last year by the Straphanger’s Campaign as the least reliable line in the city.

Their letter, sent earlier this month to MTA President Carmen Bianco, is reprinted below.

Dear NYC Transit President Bianco,

We are writing to commend the proposed improvements to the M31 Bus weekday service and to request a reconsideration of the proposed cuts to the M15 Local service. We thank the New York City Transit for its diligent evaluation of bus service routes; the planned response for the M31 Bus weekday service will notably improve the waiting time and needs of MTA customers along this route.

The results stemming from the study along the M15 Local Service route are concerning. According to your own figures, approximately 55,000 passengers travel along the M15 corridor. Cutting revenue mile service 6.4%, as planned in your letter, Bus Schedule Revisions Effective April 2015 dated Jan. 9, 2015, will escalate the problems along this already strained route.

Following our previous letters to you regarding these service issues along the M15 Local Service route, we have continued to hear from numerous constituents who have experienced severe delays in service, as well as empty buses bypassing crowded bus stops on a regular basis. Your letter noted that the Select Bus Service schedules were considered in the revisions to the local routes along the Madison Avenue line. We urge you to look into the overlap and service capacities along the Second Avenue line as well. As the Second Avenue Subway is under construction, the M15 Bus line continues to be a vital artery for residents to commute to work, pick up children from school, participate in community service work, and be able to have the necessary transportation for their daily living activities. The support that the M15 Local Bus service provides to local businesses is essential.

We request that you address these delays and service issues along the M15 Local route. The research and evaluation done by the MTA is a commendable beginning to bus schedule revisions. We urge you to listen to the lived experiences of your customers and increase services to reflect the realities of current operating conditions. Thank you for your immediate attention. We will await your response.

Sincerely,

State Senator Liz Krueger

Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright

Council Member Ben Kallos