By Charles Hack
If in-service buses ran as regularly as the out-of-service buses along 4th Avenue, then the MTA could be proud of their super-efficient service. But the empty buses that run every few minutes at all hours of the day and night are nothing but a nuisance, co-op residents told MTA officials at a May meeting at the Fort Hamilton Senior Center at Fort Hamilton Parkway and 100th Street. “The rumbling of the buses, compounded by the screeching and grinding noise which invades our homes is intolerable,” said a former teacher who represents a co-op on 4th Avenue at 74th Street. Some 70 residents signed a petition complaining of the buses, which was presented to State Senator Marty Golden. Residents of the co-op contested that although the avenue is wide, it is not a commercial street and should not be a route for out-of-service buses. “It is a residential area and should not be a dumping ground,” the co-op representative said. But MTA spokesperson said that the avenue is considered a commercial route. “Fourth Avenue is considered by the New York City Department of Transportation as a commercial street; it’s a wide street, while 4th and 5th avenues are not as wide,” said Melissa Farley, from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “We try not to run down streets that are narrow or too tight but we do have the authority to run on any street,” she said. “We are a public agency and we create a public service,” Farley said. “Sometimes we have to go to residential areas.” The MTA uses 4th Avenue to run the B16, B37, B63 and B8 buses to or from their routes and the Jackie Gleason Depot, because it is far quicker than using other streets, she said. The MTA does not have depots in every neighborhood, and having a fast direct route reduces costs and improves service by making buses available to passengers more of the time, she said. “If there is a problem between the MTA and the public, we will take a look at it,” said Golden, but he said that whatever route is used there will be complaints. “When you correct one problem on one avenue, you create another problem on another,” he said. Responding to a complaint that running empty buses adds to pollution in the city, Farley said that New York City buses, many of which run on natural gas, create some of the lowest emissions in the country. “We have the greenest buses in North America,” Farley said. “We account for three percent of the particulates in the air.” Local residents are also weary of noise created by motorcyclists that have been racing between 9:30 p.m. and 4 a.m. up and down 4th Avenue, most nights of the week for at least three years. “I’m not talking about Harleys; they are proper gentlemen,” one resident said. “I am talking about the ones who pull up and do wheelies. They are nut jobs.” Golden said that he would call at Café Café where many of the motorcyclists frequent. “Those people are respectful and do a good job,” said Golden. He also said that he would ask the police to create a statistical profile of the perpetrators that could be used to make arrests and deter further activity. Responding to commuters’ frustration that the R trains are infrequent and that express bus services into Manhattan run only during the week, Golden and members of the MTA staff stated that costs limit the MTA’s ability to improve services. “Express bus services are the most expensive we run. We don’t make money on that service,” Farley said. Despite this, Golden said that even unprofitable services are precious to the community. “I would be drawn and quartered if we lost the service during the weekdays,” he said. Golden said that changing demographic changes the needs for services, and that the MTA employs ‘bean counters’ to check the service usage. However, he said that many Bay Ridge residents commute on the weekends and they need Saturday and Sunday service. “We are going to request them to find a way to do that, we feel that the weekend service is as important as the weekday service,” Golden said.
