Your next New York bus ride may come with Wi-Fi and USB ports
Any upgrade to any bus is a welcome one.
The bus is a big part of many people's lives, and spending time on one -- in New York, at least -- should now be a bit more tolerable, especially if your phone battery is hovering around 0 percent.
New York City received the first of 83 new Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses, all of which will come equipped with Wi-Fi and USB charging ports. The city is also set to receive 43 new Select Bus Service buses, which are used for rapid transit and also receive Wi-Fi and USB ports.
126 buses may not seem like much, but it's only a small part of a much larger public transportation upgrade. Governor Andrew Cuomo has an initiative to add some 2,000 new buses to the MTA's fleet over five years. Since New York is made up almost entirely of buses, that number will only replace about 40 percent of the fleet.
I wonder how many people will miss their stop because they were too busy streaming Netflix over Wi-Fi.
It's not just new buses receiving additional connectivity, either. The MTA is actually in the process of upgrading its current buses with both Wi-Fi and USB ports. It's believed that all express buses will pack this technology by the end of the year. Each bus should have between 35 and 55 USB ports, which is enough for approximately three millennials and their various devices.
The MTA isn't going to stop with just Wi-Fi and USB. They're also looking to add digital screens with more route information to 3,600 buses by 2020. They're also implementing pedestrian turn warning systems, as well as a type of forward collision warning for drivers.
If you're a New Yorker and are keen to check these new buses out, here's where you can find them.
The 83 new MTA buses will operate in the Bronx, and they should all be in service by December 25. They'll be based at the West Farms and Kingsbridge depots. The West Farms buses will run on the Bx 6, 8, 11, 17, 21, 27, 31, 32, 33, 35, 35 and 46 routes, while the Kingsbridge buses will run on the Bx 1, 2, 9 and 15.
The SBS buses will be based out of Casey Stengel Depot, with deliveries finishing up in August, and will operate on the Q44 route, which runs through Queens and the Bronx.