MTA quietly cuts bus service across NYC as ‘money saving initiative,’ manager says in email — EXCLUSIVE

[Via Garibaldi 8]

MTA quietly cuts bus service across NYC as ‘money saving initiative,’ manager says in email — EXCLUSIVE

By Clayton Guse

Transit Reporter Aug 18, 2022 at 6:42 pm

You didn’t miss the bus — it just hasn’t arrived yet.

New York City bus riders are in for more pain as Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials this week quietly cut service across the five boroughs, according to an email sent by a NYC Transit manager that was obtained by the Daily News.

The cuts are meant to save money for the cash-strapped transit agency, the email says.

An MTA spokesman denied the email’s assertion that not filling some bus driver shifts is meant to save money and cut service, and instead stated that the agency is trying to make sure it isn’t paying drivers when they are not needed.

Commuters wait for a city bus across from Battery Park. (John Lamparski 2020/Getty Images)

The email says managers at MTA’s bus depots were instructed to allow up to six bus driver shifts each weekday to go uncovered.

That means if a bus depot has a staff shortage — or some drivers call in sick or take vacation — the depot will not staff extra drivers to replace them on the bus trips they would have driven.

“I understand this is not the way we are accustomed to doing business but it is the way the organization is handling its financial issues,” the NYC Transit manager wrote in the email. “Since ridership is only at approximately 65% of pre-pandemic levels we are being forced to reduce our coverage of open work as a money saving initiative.”

The change is “effective immediately,” according to the email.

The MTA has for more than two years struggled to put out full bus service due to a shortage of drivers. A hiring freeze put in place during the first year of the pandemic decimated the agency’s headcounts.

MTA officials last month said the agency would face $2.5 billion funding shortfall come 2024 if it does not find new revenue streams to cover its roughly $18 billion in annual expenses.

Before the pandemic, rider fares covered about 40% of the MTA’s expenses. Since subway and bus ridership has rebounded to only about 65% of pre-pandemic levels, fares are meeting less of the MTA’s cash needs.

The cuts to the city’s bus system are counter to recent public statements by MTA chairman Janno Lieber, who has said reducing service would be his last resort.

> 

“We cannot do what was done way back in the financial crisis of the 2010 era and start massively slashing service, cutting essential service to the neighborhoods that need it most,” Lieber said Wednesday on WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show.”

“And we can’t put that solving this problem on the backs of the riders,” Lieber said.

MTA officials said 97% of the agency’s bus trips have run as scheduled since the start of July.

“The MTA continues to schedule 100% of pre-pandemic service for 65% of riders and has no plan to cut bus service,” said MTA spokesman Eugene Resnick. “We have undertaken aggressive hiring that will get us to pre-pandemic bus operator vacancy levels in September.”

A leader of Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents the bulk of NYC Transit’s workforce — including bus drivers — said the service cuts will lead riders to blame union members.

“If you’re not honest with the public, they’re going to get mad,” said JP Patafio, a Local 100 vice president. “And when they get mad, they don’t take it out on MTA management, they take it out on the bus operators.”

“At the end of the day transit needs to be honest about what they’re doing. They said there’s a fiscal cliff in 2024. Why are they cutting service now?”

Source: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-mta-bus-service-cuts-save-money-low-ridership-20220818-llxjuw2lavexfl5qywsqssdkam-story.html

***This article is paywalled, so I posted the full story here.***

[Trainmaster5]

4 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

MTA quietly cuts bus service across NYC as ‘money saving initiative,’ manager says in email — EXCLUSIVE

By Clayton Guse

Transit Reporter Aug 18, 2022 at 6:42 pm

You didn’t miss the bus — it just hasn’t arrived yet.

New York City bus riders are in for more pain as Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials this week quietly cut service across the five boroughs, according to an email sent by a NYC Transit manager that was obtained by the Daily News.

The cuts are meant to save money for the cash-strapped transit agency, the email says.

An MTA spokesman denied the email’s assertion that not filling some bus driver shifts is meant to save money and cut service, and instead stated that the agency is trying to make sure it isn’t paying drivers when they are not needed.

Commuters wait for a city bus across from Battery Park. (John Lamparski 2020/Getty Images)

The email says managers at MTA’s bus depots were instructed to allow up to six bus driver shifts each weekday to go uncovered.

That means if a bus depot has a staff shortage — or some drivers call in sick or take vacation — the depot will not staff extra drivers to replace them on the bus trips they would have driven.

“I understand this is not the way we are accustomed to doing business but it is the way the organization is handling its financial issues,” the NYC Transit manager wrote in the email. “Since ridership is only at approximately 65% of pre-pandemic levels we are being forced to reduce our coverage of open work as a money saving initiative.”

The change is “effective immediately,” according to the email.

The MTA has for more than two years struggled to put out full bus service due to a shortage of drivers. A hiring freeze put in place during the first year of the pandemic decimated the agency’s headcounts.

MTA officials last month said the agency would face $2.5 billion funding shortfall come 2024 if it does not find new revenue streams to cover its roughly $18 billion in annual expenses.

Before the pandemic, rider fares covered about 40% of the MTA’s expenses. Since subway and bus ridership has rebounded to only about 65% of pre-pandemic levels, fares are meeting less of the MTA’s cash needs.

The cuts to the city’s bus system are counter to recent public statements by MTA chairman Janno Lieber, who has said reducing service would be his last resort.

> 

“We cannot do what was done way back in the financial crisis of the 2010 era and start massively slashing service, cutting essential service to the neighborhoods that need it most,” Lieber said Wednesday on WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show.”

“And we can’t put that solving this problem on the backs of the riders,” Lieber said.

MTA officials said 97% of the agency’s bus trips have run as scheduled since the start of July.

“The MTA continues to schedule 100% of pre-pandemic service for 65% of riders and has no plan to cut bus service,” said MTA spokesman Eugene Resnick. “We have undertaken aggressive hiring that will get us to pre-pandemic bus operator vacancy levels in September.”

A leader of Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents the bulk of NYC Transit’s workforce — including bus drivers — said the service cuts will lead riders to blame union members.

“If you’re not honest with the public, they’re going to get mad,” said JP Patafio, a Local 100 vice president. “And when they get mad, they don’t take it out on MTA management, they take it out on the bus operators.”

“At the end of the day transit needs to be honest about what they’re doing. They said there’s a fiscal cliff in 2024. Why are they cutting service now?”

Source: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-mta-bus-service-cuts-save-money-low-ridership-20220818-llxjuw2lavexfl5qywsqssdkam-story.html

***This article is paywalled, so I posted the full story here.***

Thanks for your post. I read it yesterday and it bugs me that many people on the bus and the subway forums didn’t see this before. IIRC I stated early on  when the pandemic started out that ridership numbers would determine the amount of service provided by the  going forward. I was primarily focused on the subway side but the same thing applies to both modes. People are talking about service increases when the ridership numbers haven’t reached 70% on average. The agency is going broke . Any other business would cut costs and rearrange their service options to stay in business or close up shop. That’s basic school book economics, at least to some of us. The problem with what the Surface folks are doing is that there’s no rhyme or reason to the missing runs and the people are getting screwed because of it. Haphazard is not the way to go, IMO. Head over to the subway forums and people are clamoring for new equipment and service increases. With 70% of pre-pandemic ridership numbers it seems to me that reading comprehension is a thing of the past. No matter who wins the Governorship this year it’s guaranteed that service cuts are coming. Covid-19 and WFH have changed the whole  outlook permanently. This is my opinion. Judging by past history I doubt that I’m wrong. Carry on.

[R32 3838]

23 minutes ago, Trainmaster5 said:

Thanks for your post. I read it yesterday and it bugs me that many people on the bus and the subway forums didn’t see this before. IIRC I stated early on  when the pandemic started out that ridership numbers would determine the amount of service provided by the  going forward. I was primarily focused on the subway side but the same thing applies to both modes. People are talking about service increases when the ridership numbers haven’t reached 70% on average. The agency is going broke . Any other business would cut costs and rearrange their service options to stay in business or close up shop. That’s basic school book economics, at least to some of us. The problem with what the Surface folks are doing is that there’s no rhyme or reason to the missing runs and the people are getting screwed because of it. Haphazard is not the way to go, IMO. Head over to the subway forums and people are clamoring for new equipment and service increases. With 70% of pre-pandemic ridership numbers it seems to me that reading comprehension is a thing of the past. No matter who wins the Governorship this year it’s guaranteed that service cuts are coming. Covid-19 and WFH have changed the whole  outlook permanently. This is my opinion. Judging by past history I doubt that I’m wrong. Carry on.

This has nothing to do with ridership, This is more like they won't use the extra or new drivers to cover for runs when that assigned B/O takes the day off or is on Vacation.

Bus ridership is still very high

[Gotham Bus Co.]

5 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

The email says managers at MTA’s bus depots were instructed to allow up to six bus driver shifts each weekday to go uncovered.

That means if a bus depot has a staff shortage — or some drivers call in sick or take vacation — the depot will not staff extra drivers to replace them on the bus trips they would have driven.

 

As I recall, a similar memo went around several years ago "allowing" up to 1% of runs to go unfilled. That very quickly became a requirement to hold back 1% of runs even when all drivers and buses were available (in order to save on mileage) — and some depot General Superintendents were written up for "making score." 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

35 minutes ago, Gotham Bus Co. said:

 

As I recall, a similar memo went around several years ago "allowing" up to 1% of runs to go unfilled. That very quickly became a requirement to hold back 1% of runs even when all drivers and buses were available (in order to save on mileage) — and some depot General Superintendents were written up for "making score." 

Yes, this is not new, but still disturbing, given that the  has enough funding to keep running service just fine for the next few years.

 

1 hour ago, Trainmaster5 said:

Thanks for your post. I read it yesterday and it bugs me that many people on the bus and the subway forums didn’t see this before. IIRC I stated early on  when the pandemic started out that ridership numbers would determine the amount of service provided by the  going forward. I was primarily focused on the subway side but the same thing applies to both modes. People are talking about service increases when the ridership numbers haven’t reached 70% on average. The agency is going broke . Any other business would cut costs and rearrange their service options to stay in business or close up shop. That’s basic school book economics, at least to some of us. The problem with what the Surface folks are doing is that there’s no rhyme or reason to the missing runs and the people are getting screwed because of it. Haphazard is not the way to go, IMO. Head over to the subway forums and people are clamoring for new equipment and service increases. With 70% of pre-pandemic ridership numbers it seems to me that reading comprehension is a thing of the past. No matter who wins the Governorship this year it’s guaranteed that service cuts are coming. Covid-19 and WFH have changed the whole  outlook permanently. This is my opinion. Judging by past history I doubt that I’m wrong. Carry on.

Here's my issue with this. They received BILLIONS of dollars from the Feds to keep service running and have enough funding into 2024-25. Cutting service like this is not saving much money in the overall scheme of things. 

You noted how any other business would operate. They are not a private entity. They are a public authority and they're in place to serve the public. What they are doing is dangerous because we have congestion pricing around the corner and you have more people buying cars. This erodes trust in the overall system. Make no mistake about it. NYC cannot function without a robust public transit system. We cannot have everyone trying to drive into Manhattan and elsewhere where people would normally take public transit. There are people that don't think this is a big deal, believing that they won't be scathed by this because they drive. They'll be sitting in more traffic.

The real issue is that the  needs to find new funding sources. The commuter is not going to be going to work five days a week in most cases, and some have switched or will be switching to work from home permanently (I'm in that boat), so the demand will be different. Using myself as an example, I may be driving more than I take public transit, but I'm not that dense not to realize that this would impact me for sure.

Edited August 19, 2022 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Trainmaster5]

2 hours ago, R32 3838 said:

This has nothing to do with ridership, This is more like they won't use the extra or new drivers to cover for runs when that assigned B/O takes the day off or is on Vacation.

Bus ridership is still very high

You may say that bus ridership is very high but compared to what ? Their numbers only approach 70 % of pre-pandemic on some lines. I personally think that VG8 has an understanding of what's going on and the dilemma we're in. There needs to be a dedicated funding source to continue on the path the  is traveling on. This Federal gift won't be replicated. The "so-called" congestion pricing plan isn't finalized by any means and I can guarantee you that Nassau and Suffolk state and Federal legislators will have major input on the final result of that plan. By the  's own numbers on bus and subway ridership are down 25-30 % and aren't expected to reach pre-Covid numbers. Whether one accepts the  numbers as gospel or not, I never do, or not I can't see a good ending for the present situation. As I stated earlier this is my opinion. Public mass transit is a necessity in the Metropolitan area. It's the foundation that made NYC the nation's business capital. Carry on

Edited August 19, 2022 by Trainmaster5

[checkmatechamp13]

5 hours ago, Trainmaster5 said:

People are talking about service increases when the ridership numbers haven’t reached 70% on average. The agency is going broke . Any other business would cut costs and rearrange their service options to stay in business or close up shop. That’s basic school book economics, at least to some of us. The problem with what the Surface folks are doing is that there’s no rhyme or reason to the missing runs and the people are getting screwed because of it. Haphazard is not the way to go, IMO. 

Agreed. They should've used the reduced weekday schedule as a baseline, and then built it up from there. Somewhat similar to how the railroads did it (though even with those, they could've done it in a better manner than just copy-pasting trains with the same old stopping patterns and filling b in the slots)

[Mtatransit]

I much rather they cut service than "not fill 6 shifts per day"

Either way its a service cut, just one you can plan around, and the other is missing buses and pissed off passenger waiting 30 in for a bus that is suppose to come every 15

[Via Garibaldi 8]

9 hours ago, Trainmaster5 said:

You may say that bus ridership is very high but compared to what ? Their numbers only approach 70 % of pre-pandemic on some lines. I personally think that VG8 has an understanding of what's going on and the dilemma we're in. There needs to be a dedicated funding source to continue on the path the  is traveling on. This Federal gift won't be replicated. The "so-called" congestion pricing plan isn't finalized by any means and I can guarantee you that Nassau and Suffolk state and Federal legislators will have major input on the final result of that plan. By the  's own numbers on bus and subway ridership are down 25-30 % and aren't expected to reach pre-Covid numbers. Whether one accepts the  numbers as gospel or not, I never do, or not I can't see a good ending for the present situation. As I stated earlier this is my opinion. Public mass transit is a necessity in the Metropolitan area. It's the foundation that made NYC the nation's business capital. Carry on

I actually agree with you. Elected officials in the suburban counties are not going to let this be implemented without some deals for their constituents that drive in. They've made that crystal clear. One of the issues is some areas have poor public transit options (I'm thinking of areas like west of the Hudson as one example).

One of the reasons ridership numbers continue to be depressed is crime, especially pertaining to the subways, whether people believe it is perception or what have you, but it is keeping people away. Bus ridership is better, but again, you don't have as many commuters traveling five days a week. One of the challenges with cutting service and the reason the  did not do it with the buses and subways is the railroads had ridership down so much that it was easier to cut service. Bus ridership for example, what do you cut? Their stance in speaking with them was they wanted to have more data, understand ridership patterns, etc., which were still changing and continue to change. I think it was the right decision and I'll explain why.

With the the railroads, I can tell you that I was not pleased having one train an hour and I stopped using Metro-North the times that I did travel to the City and just stuck with the express bus. There were times where the waits were actually OVER an hour. It was not conducive to taking public transit. Speaking with my elected officials and with the about this, it took several months before we got that cancelled train back, as there were quite a few people that were not pleased about it. With the  they don't make logical cuts to service, so there would be too many people screwed over and that's the one issue I see.

I'm sure there would also be pissed off elected officials as there are now saying wait a minute. You got money from the Feds to keep service running for the next few years. You've got congestion pricing coming. My constituents have limited transit options and this is what we're getting? That sentiment was already displayed yesterday by a few elected officials. They're trying to spin this as them being fiscally responsible, but it doesn't put them in a good light. What they do now is they just cancel a bunch of service, sometimes leading to gaps of two or three hours in service on some bus lines and there seems to be no effort to keep gaps to a minimum unless they are called out for it. This is why I'm opposed to such a proposal. 

[B35 via Church]

Not that the MTA hasn't been prone to quietly cutting service prior, but when you have prolonged periods of fare-free service, people need to realize that that in some way, shape, or form, cuts will be eminent in the future.... Things have a way of balancing themselves out (some will say "correcting" themselves")..... Free rides (in this case) are looked like, like it's some sort of euphoric bonanza or something... I have always been uneasy of whenever something is free for a significant amount of time... Don't give me the "out of the kindness of your heart" shit, don't give me "we're in a budget surplus" shit... None of it....

These are the so-called quiet cuts, but when SHTF, it will be on full display just how much NY-ers rely on public transit.... It's well known & stated by many across the country (and beyond) that you don't need a car to get around in this city.... However, I'm not sure if as many people blurting out said statement really realize the extent of the reliance of public transit here.... Just like cops don't exist to "protect & serve" YOU, they exist to uphold the law [note the generic nature there], the MTA isn't in it provide better public transit for YOU, they're there to provide basic public transportation [again, note the generic nature of that].... While you can argue "basic" being subjective, just know that anything you get outside of that is a plus - which is why public transit providers like the MTA have no qualms with extracting that.... Bonanza.

Que sera, sera....

[Via Garibaldi 8]

On 8/20/2022 at 7:01 AM, B35 via Church said:

Not that the MTA hasn't been prone to quietly cutting service prior, but when you have prolonged periods of fare-free service, people need to realize that that in some way, shape, or form, cuts will be eminent in the future.... Things have a way of balancing themselves out (some will say "correcting" themselves")..... Free rides (in this case) are looked like, like it's some sort of euphoric bonanza or something... I have always been uneasy of whenever something is free for a significant amount of time...

I would agree with this IF they had not received BILLIONS in funding specifically to keep service running. They have enough funding that will last for the next two years until the end of 2024. Second, let's assume they didn't receive that Federal funding. Leaving trips open in the overall scheme of things is a drop in the bucket that won't solve their budget woes. Their deficit after 2024 is in the billions, so it really doesn't make any sense.

What would make more sense is full-fledged service cuts if they were really looking to balance their budget issues down the line. With ridership being as tenuous as it is, they really cannot afford any cuts, which would just mean more people not using the system, and then having to perhaps cut service more. Yes, I would agree that for those that have no options, those people would be hurt, but I think it is underestimated how many high-income people exist in this City. That is a big part of the reason why bus ridership has lagged, not just poor service. The transplants in particular moving here don't want to use bus service, and some won't use the subway either. They will use bikes, Uber/Lyft/Revel, etc. I see more and more of that in general. It is something that the  really needs to monitor. This is exemplified by how car ownership has exploded here in NYC since the pandemic. With more work from home flexibility, you will see more people continue to buy cars.

[Bill from Maspeth]

On 8/19/2022 at 3:45 PM, R32 3838 said:

This has nothing to do with ridership, This is more like they won't use the extra or new drivers to cover for runs when that assigned B/O takes the day off or is on Vacation.

Bus ridership is still very high

Yeah, bus ridership is high, but how many riders do not pay the fare or use the fare box like a donation to the poor box?  

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 hour ago, Bill from Maspeth said:

Yeah, bus ridership is high, but how many riders do not pay the fare or use the fare box like a donation to the poor box?  

The issue is this was being applied to all lines, local and express. Not all lines have high farebeating, that I'm sure of.

[LTA1992]

I notice VG8 keeps mentioning how they got billions of funding when the system as a whole has been losing money since 1941.

No amount of cash is gonna save that. Secondly, just like with noticeable inflation in our stores after 4 trillion was created from nothing during the pandemic, that long period of free rides was eventually gone come back and bite us. Secondly, we aren't back to full ridership and Congestion Pricing (which is law and happening whether people like it or not) hasn't come online yet. The MTA has to be bleeding WAY more cash than usual.

Public transit isn't supposed to make money anyway. My broke ass would happily pay a sales tax of 10% if it meant the MTA getting what it needs to stay afloat.

Alternatively, we could implode it and create something new from the ashes....

Please excuse me. I'm thinking before waking up completely lol

Edited September 3, 2022 by LTA1992

[Via Garibaldi 8]

On 9/3/2022 at 10:39 AM, LTA1992 said:

I notice VG8 keeps mentioning how they got billions of funding when the system as a whole has been losing money since 1941.

No amount of cash is gonna save that. Secondly, just like with noticeable inflation in our stores after 4 trillion was created from nothing during the pandemic, that long period of free rides was eventually gone come back and bite us. Secondly, we aren't back to full ridership and Congestion Pricing (which is law and happening whether people like it or not) hasn't come online yet. The MTA has to be bleeding WAY more cash than usual.

Public transit isn't supposed to make money anyway. My broke ass would happily pay a sales tax of 10% if it meant the MTA getting what it needs to stay afloat.

Alternatively, we could implode it and create something new from the ashes....

Please excuse me. I'm thinking before waking up completely lol

Yes, my point was they received the funding they needed to keep afloat NOW until into 2024, even with the current ridership situation. Their financial situation back in 1941 is irrelevant and has nothing to do with the present in terms of this funding. They have the funding NOW to keep running the service and they should be doing just that. There is no reason to excuse this happening when they got that money for one thing and one thing only... To keep running the bus and train service.

Yes, they have had to borrow more because of the State robbing funding from them over a number of years, but that doesn't excuse the reckless spending that they have engaged in either. Spending $30 million for one subway entrance (that already existed) isn't exactly wise. There are other examples of reckless spending, so they certainly haven't helped their situation. Then there are the fare beating problems. Several  Board members have been urging the agency to address the problem that they have lamented about for the last several years. They are not in a position to let hundreds of millions of dollars walk out of the door. If they can't find more funding, they will either have to cut service and/or raise fares in the long run, which will further hurt their situation, so they should continue to run the service that they were given funding for, find ways to generate new sources of revenue/funding and get their fiscal house in order and find ways to mitigate their rampant fare beating problem.