What to Know
- Commuters catching buses in Brooklyn Friday morning were met with delays since rulebook slowdown impacted multiple bus lines, sources say
- B1, B4, B8, B9, B11, B16, B35, B35-LTD, B37, B43, B61, B63, B67, B68, B69, and B70 buses saw delays in both directions
- The buses were due to leave from a depot in Sunset Park when they were stopped for emergency inspections, sources confirm
Some commuters hoping to catch buses Friday morning were met with delays since a rulebook slowdown impacted multiple Brooklyn bus lines during the Friday morning rush, according to sources.
B1, B4, B8, B9, B11, B16, B35, B35-LTD, B37, B43, B61, B63, B67, B68, B69, and B70 buses saw delays in both directions due to unscheduled routine inspections, the MTA announced via twitter Friday morning.
The buses were due to leave from the Jackie Gleason Depot in Sunset Park at dawn on Friday when they were stopped for emergency inspections, sources confirm to News 4.
Sources close to the Transport Workers Union Local 100 and MTA negotiations say it appeared to be a TWU slowdown.
In a statement regarding the bus-safety inspections conducted Friday morning in Brooklyn, Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Tony Utano said: “It’s all about safety. These are routine inspections. We want to make sure the buses are absolutely safe for our Bus Operators and for passengers. These inspections are similar to the spot inspections the state DOT did at the East New York depot earlier this week. Despite the fact that the MTA pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into the system, buses are still in a state of disrepair.”
According to the TWU Local 100, the inspections found a range of defects, including faulty emergency window exits on buses.
Local
Andy Byford, president of the MTA's New York City Transit Authority, called the slowdown "unacceptable."
“Any action by TWU Local 100 that slows down bus service for riders in Brooklyn or anywhere in NYC is not acceptable," Byford said in a statement. "These were routine inspections, not directed to occur during rush hour by NYC Transit management. Delaying dozens of buses this morning was unnecessary, inconveniencing New Yorkers just trying to get to work, school, doctors, and hospitals.”
