Mass Transit - 13

Marc A. Hermann/MTA New York City Transit

ing so unreliable, " Enrique said.
" When we got off work at four
in the morning, we used to race
out and squeeze into the bus that
came right at 4:00 sharp, because
the next one wasn't coming for
another 45 minutes. "
Because of the focus on location-essential workers during the
first wave of the pandemic, Enrique says bus service has become
much more reliable and frequent.
" Now I can take the 4:10 a.m.
bus, which is easier to catch since
it's timed to come 10 minutes after the shift change. If I miss that
one, I'm only waiting another 10
minutes for the next one. And if
our shift ends early, our company
alerts the transit agency so they
can send a bus earlier. "
Glad to be back at work-and
able to do his part to help the environment-Enrique appreciates
how the local transit agency has
adapted to his new work schedule.
" I am relieved I no longer have
to consider the extra expense of
buying a car, " he says.
The increased service frequency and better bus scheduling is a
result of new collaboration be-

tween the transit agency and
employers to better align service
on key routes that serve their facilities. It ensures high-enough
frequency to protect customers
by preventing crowding.
Enrique's mother, Maria, lives
with the family. Maria is retired
and now looks after her grandchildren, Rosa and Miguel. Before
COVID-19, she wanted to find
part-time work but her mobility
issues limited her options. After
COVID-19 compelled many employers to embrace work from
home, Maria was able to find work
with the local transit agency as
a home-based customer service
representative.
Maria helps customers plan
their transit trips and buy tickets on the agency's app. She also
helps customers with a new program: registering as regular riders
on specific bus routes and train
lines. Voluntary registration helps
the agency balance supply with
demand. In return, customers
receive a recurring discount on
their weekly or monthly tickets.
Rosa is in 11th grade and Miguel just started high school. The

new reality of education has necessitated a mix of remote learning and small-group instruction
designed to keep occupancy in
school buildings to 50 percent.
The family lives in a working-class neighborhood just
outside a major city. Their municipality still maintains the
character of 100 years ago, with
tightly packed homes, four-story
walk ups and corner stores. The
family lives in a neighborhood
that had begun to experience
gentrification as home buyers
recognized what the family already enjoys: close proximity to
the next-door city by bus, train
or light rail, and an easy walk to
buy groceries, fill a prescription
or pick up a lunch order.
Prompted by COVID-19, the
local government enacted new
land-use policies to promote infill
development. The increased housing stock protects the existing
community from displacement.
The state's economic development officials also offered
incentives to employers to occupy several vacant industrial
buildings with location-essen-

NEW YORK City
Transit subway
riders in face
coverings.

DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit |

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