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Hiram Alejandro Durán/THE CITY The MTA’s signature plan to revamp bus routes has been stuck in the slow lane for over a year because of the pandemic — delaying long-planned efforts to speed up rides as the city begins reopening. Agency officials say the citywide bus network redesign — which launched on Staten Island Express routes in 2018 — will eventually resume, though the MTA could not specify an exact timetable. While Staten Island’s overhaul was completed nearly three years ago, The Bronx’s redesign was just about to hit the streets when COVID slammed the brakes. The MTA had...

SHARE: Quemuel Arroyo is attracted by transportation’s ability to close social inequities. That is a big part of what led him down the path he has taken, he said on an April morning in Battery Park, now serving as the first chief accessibility officer at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “I honestly believe that transportation has the power to drastically enhance a community and individuals’ lives,” he said, wearing a mask declaring “New York Tough,” “or if not done the right way, really create barriers that preclude someone from living their best life.” But the inequ...

They cite coalition building, learning from past mistakes, project planning and effective outreach during the pandemic.

Public transit in the US is already underfunded. The pandemic has made it worse. Vox.com 12/14/2020 Terry Nguyen © David L. Ryan/Boston Globe/Getty Images A Boston MBTA station, half-empty due to declining ridership in the pandemic. City transit officials are considering major service cuts to the network, despite public and political outcry. In the early days of the pandemic, public transit ridership dropped precipitously. Americans were urged to stay home, which prompted transit agencies to swiftly implement service cuts to match this declining demand. Transit networks ...

David L. Ryan/Boston Globe/Getty Images This story is part of a group of stories called In the early days of the pandemic, public transit ridership dropped precipitously. Americans were urged to stay home, which prompted transit agencies to swiftly implement service cuts to match this declining demand. Transit networks needed a financial lifeline. Fare money was drying up, and existing budget gaps were further exacerbated. Through the CARES Act in March, local agencies received $25 billion in aid — bailout money that was crucial to keep networks operating through the summer despite st...