Sen. Hoylman-Sigal's Letter to MTA to Expand the Bus Open Stroller Program

Dear Chair Lieber:

I am writing to urge the MTA to expand the Bus Open Stroller Program (BOSP) to the M11 and M7 bus lines, a request I’ve received from numerous constituents. 

As you are aware, these two routes consistently rank among the top ten in bus ridership for Manhattan and run along Amsterdam Avenue and Columbus Avenue—two key commercial corridors in my Senate district. As a father to two young children, I understand from personal experience how difficult and potentially dangerous it can be to continually open and close unwieldy strollers with one hand, while holding antsy toddlers in the other, while on the bus. By expanding this program to the M11 and M7 routes, the MTA would include parents living on the Upper West Side, Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, and the West Village—some of the most popular neighborhoods for young families.  

Given its low rate of car ownership, Manhattan’s West Side is a strong candidate for the BOSP. According to a Department of Transportation study, almost 3 in 4 Upper West Siders live in a household without a car—one of the lowest rates in New York City. Indeed, one third of all trips by West Siders occur on mass transit. 

Less car trips make for a safer, greener, and healthier city—but Manhattan’s inspiring statistics face numerous headwinds. For one, bus ridership has been trending down for decades, netting record low numbers in 2019. Car ownership is also on the rise. In Manhattan, the percentage of households without cars decreased between 2012 and 2021 from 79% to 76%, according to US Census Data. To reverse these trends, New York must make public transit more accessible and more attractive, especially for the young families that stabilize our city’s tax base. 

With Central Business District Tolling to take effect in 2024, the MTA must rapidly scale up service and increase accessibility. Expanding the Bus Open Stroller program to the M7 and M11 routes would be an important step in this direction. 

I’m extremely grateful to your leadership at the MTA and consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Brad Hoylman-Sigal

New York State Senator

47th District - Manhattan