As Service Cuts Loom, Bloomberg Introduces Group Ride

The ever-changing complexion of the subway and bus schedule may get yet another face lift.

The latest potential shakeup would affect early morning rush hour service on the 7 train as well as 38 bus routes. The proposed changes, which do not require a board vote, would chip another $3.7 million out of a seemingly insurmountable MTA budget deficit.

The changes are part of routine seasonal adjustments to the schedule, which is based upon ridership, an MTA spokesperson told NBCNew York. The president of New York City Transit can sign off on such changes without public hearings or any official vote. This decision can't include the elimination of any services, but it can involve adjusting schedules up to a certain point. 

Meanwhile, severe cuts in service are about to go into effect on Sunday, including the elimination of the V train and Q74 bus service. Mayor Michael Bloomberg opted to hold a news conference along the latter route to make an announcement about a new service.

Bloomberg and other city leaders announced a one-year pilot program to test a group ride van service. The test drive will kick off this year in at least three locations around the city. The vans will be marked, controlled by the Taxi & Limousine Commission and most will likely cost $2 a trip.

"This is not related to the MTA cutbacks," Bloomberg said of the program.

But City Council Speaker Christine Quinn noted that the plan aimed to ensure those affected by the bus service cuts could still get around.

As members of the union that represents bus drivers gathered across the street, Bloomberg called the van service an innovative solution to a growing mass transit problem and continued to blame the state government for not stepping up to help the MTA.