Councilman David G. Greenfield is pleased that at his urging and request, the MTA has expanded its real-time bus tracking technology called “Bus Time” to include Brooklyn, meaning commuters now have the ability to access up-to-the-minute information about the arrival of the next bus along every route in the city. This technology is something that Councilman Greenfield has asked the MTA to bring to Brooklyn since he was first elected to office to improve commute times for thousands of local residents. It is especially welcomed along lines such as the B11 that have been the subject of complaints due to inconsistent wait times and instances of bus bunching.

“The expansion of this program will make the wait for the next bus much more tolerable for thousands of Brooklyn residents each day. In this time of constant fare increases and reduced service, I applaud the MTA for providing value to their riders. It was a long time coming, but I am very pleased that the MTA has heard our requests and brought this great program to all of Brooklyn and New York City,” said Councilman Greenfield.

The “Bus Time” program was expanded to Brooklyn and Queens this past Monday, meeting the MTA’s goal of having the technology available on all routes during the first quarter of this year. With more than 9,000 bus stops in Queens and Brooklyn added to the “Bus Time” system as a result of this week’s expansion, over 15,000 bus stops citywide are now equipped with the technology, and enhanced GPS devices have been installed on 5,500 buses used around the five boroughs.

Riders can access information regarding the status of the next bus by visiting bustime.mta.info and entering a bus route, street intersection, address, landmark or bus stop code, or through third-party apps like Google Maps that are available on smartphones. Residents without a smartphone can simply text an intersection or street address to “511123” to receive a text listing of all of the local bus routes in the area. Specific information about the whereabouts of the closest bus can then be found by selecting a specific route from the text listing.

Councilman Greenfield inquired to MTA officials about bringing “Bus Time” to southern Brooklyn and the entire borough several times in City Council hearings as a member of the Transportation Committee, including an October 2012 hearing focused on the impact of technology on the city’s buses and subways. During that hearing, Councilman Greenfield questioned MTA officials about constant problems with “bus bunching,” or instances of two or more buses arriving at a stop at the same time after a long wait time, and requested that this technology also be used to reduce that problem. In addition, Councilman Greenfield is excited for the positive impact “Bus Time” will have on local businesses, as commuters will now know whether they have time to run into a nearby store before their bus arrives.

“While this technology won’t resolve every issue with inconsistent service here in Brooklyn, it will end the frustrating tradition of peering down the block in search of the next bus. I urge everyone to take advantage of this great new program, and I will continue to work with the MTA on other low-cost ways to use technology for everyone who relies on buses and subways to get around our city,” added Councilman Greenfield.

(YWN Desk – NYC)