MTA brings bike racks to select buses for trial
Starting Sunday, September 6, the MTA will welcome bicycle racks to busses on two Bay Ridge and Staten Island bound bus routes for the first time in public transit history.
The year-long Bike & Ride pilot program will roll out three types of front-mounted racks on the S53 and S93 routes, to be available on a free, first-come, first-serve basis. The two lines, officials said, were selected for their safe access to current and planned bicycle paths as well as their ridership and routes.
“Before this program, our customers had no direct way to travel with their bicycles on public transportation between Brooklyn and Staten Island,” said Darryl Irick, president of MTA Bus and senior vice president of NYC Transit Department of Buses. “Now customers can take advantage of the city’s bike lanes and greenways without worrying about how to transport their bicycles.”
A future expansion of the program, he said, will depend on results of this pilot and will likely focus on routes that cross bridges.