Digital Buses Get Roll-Out at Quill Depot
MAY 17 -- In the Bus Depot named after the great Mike Quill , Governor Andrew Coumo unveiled the latest addition to our bus fleet in NYC. Surrounded by MTA brass and Local 100 Bus Operators and Maintainers, the Governor noted, “Mr. [Earl] Phillips and the TWU, the Union that represents the workers, has been a great partner to us. We have a great relationship and the progress that we’re making, we couldn’t make without that partnership.”
With daily newspapers giving way to iphones, tablets, and other devices – and transit riders demanding a digital-friendly ride – the Governor was touting high-tech modernization as one of the benefits to New Yorkers from his infusion of cash into the MTA’s capital program. 75 of the new buses, equipped with USB charging ports and wifi, will be on the streets this summer, and their number will grow to 2,042 in five years under the capital plan. As he has done repeatedly since the beginning of the year, the Governor pushed mass transit as the solution to New York’s growing population and called it critical to our growing economy. Better amenities like wifi, he said, will ensure that people not only use mass transit “because there is no alternative, [but because] they actually like it.”
Increased investment in public transit means an increased level of job security and income potential for TWU Local members.
