Statement by Senator Andrew Lanza on MTA's Decision to Remove Flashing Blue Lights from Express Buses

Councilman Vincent Ignizio and I are pleased to report that the MTA will replace the blue flashing lights on express busses with another color light. Councilman Ignizio and I had earlier expressed our desire to have the blue flashing lights be removed from express busses. By law in New York State only emergency vehicles can have blue flashing lights and we have maintained that there is a good public policy justification for this law. As drivers and pedestrians we have come to know that when you see flashing blue lights you should yield in order to allow emergency vehicles the opportunity respond to the various emergencies they deal with in order to keep us safe. Blue flashing lights on buses, while illegal, would have also desensitize drivers to the emergency nature typically associated with blue lights. I  join Councilman Ignizio in thanking MTA Chairman Joe Lhota for making this change.