No matter the weather, New York City Transit has got you covered with safe and efficient service. Last month we told you about the team that keeps the subway moving in snow and sleet. This month is all about buses, just in time for another storm in the forecast following last week’s back-to-back flurries.
Just like for the subway, we have a time-tested playbook for running bus service in the snow. Crews get to work well before the first flakes fall, winterizing the outdoor lots and depots that house our 5,800-strong fleet.
On Feb. 8, mechanics like Antoine Buford, Edgar Colon, and Ronnie Siegmund at the Eastchester Depot were out hours in advance, salting walkways and roads and outfitting buses with chains to provide extra traction.
Preparing also means strategically deploying staff. That’s the job of Line Supervisors like Scott McPherson, who makes sure that sufficient personnel are on hand to keep Bronx express buses moving.
In every storm, we closely monitor conditions in all five boroughs at our high-tech Bus Command Center. In the last storm, General Superintendent Joham Ernest and Superintendent Zakaria Jabbori both came in on their days off for what we call the “Hawk” — or overnight tour — to look out for any buses that needed assistance and to keep customers informed.
Riders are likely most familiar with the work of our heroic bus operators, who maneuver huge vehicles through whatever comes their way. We have talented folks at all our depots, including Leon Harris, Aida Dominguez, Narda Dennis, Torrance Cameron, and Hasan Taylor.
At the Queens Village Depot, Bus Operator Johnny Cuebas not only helped run service safely but also trained new operators on snow equipment to ensure buses could get out on the road.
It takes all kinds of employees to keep the City moving, from Transportation Supervisors, who track headways and service in real time to make changes on the fly, to the Road Operations team. After seeing challenging conditions in Brooklyn, Northern Queens General Superintendent Michael Karsos—who also came in on his day off—left his division to help Brooklyn Road Operations Superintendent Jerrel Malone free stuck buses.
There were plenty of grateful riders, even despite the snow. Last weekend, buses carried more than 1.3 million of them. New Yorkers have places to go and things to do. The team at NYC Transit Buses deserves our gratitude for making sure their lives don’t slow down in the winter.
Demetrius Crichlow is MTA New York City Transit president.
Read More: https://www.amny.com/oped/
