MTA Rolling Out New, High-Tech Buses
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) - Mass transit is going high-tech.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and MTA Chairman Tom Prendergrast announced 23 new buses will be put into service in Queens next month.
The new buses are equipped with Wi-Fi and USB charging ports.
"We're reimagining the MTA to improve services for all New Yorkers," said Cuomo. "Today's world demands connectivity, and we're meeting that challenge with state-of-the-art buses and a major overhaul of the MTA's fleet. This upgrade will create a stronger, more convenient and more connected mass transit system for years to come."
"You spend a lot of time on the bus. You spend a lot of time on a rail car, and you spend a lot of time in the station," Prendergrast said. "The time goes a heck of a lot faster if you have connectivity than when you don't have connectivity."
Another 52 buses with new USB ports and Wi-Fi will join the fleet by the end of the year. By 2020, 2,042 buses will be equipped with Wi-Fi hotspots.
Cuomo said the design of the new fleet is "very attractive" with a "European flair."
"It has almost a Ferrari-like look," Cuomo said.
Each new bus costs $775,000.
Cuomo has vowed to spend $8.3 billion on the Metropolitan Transit Authority's $29 billion modernization plan -- but that money isn't in Cuomo's proposed state budget.
The state has already given $1 billion. Cuomo says the rest will be allocated when the MTA needs the money.
Rider Michelle Alexander of Queens says funding details are needed now to ensure plans for new subway cars and buses, better signaling and modern stations can proceed.
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