Rockland County, NY - Bus Ridership Surges

Rockland County, NY - Success always has a price, so more riders on Transport of Rockland buses this year means some buses are running a little late.

The resounding success for TOR has been adding new runs to Loops 1 and 2, which serve the heavily populated areas in Monsey. Ridership over this runs has jumped 84 percent.
More than 40,300 rides were taken on the two lines during the first six months of this year. In the first half of 2005, fewer than 22,000 rides were taken on those lines.

Michael Gurski, Rockland's transit administrator, said it has become difficult to keep buses on schedule as a result. Along with more people getting on and off the buses, which slows things down, the county uses a flag-down system - meaning people can catch a bus anywhere along its route as long as it is safe for the bus to stop. That adds time, and the county is studying the problem.
"The extra ridership is adding maybe 10 minutes a trip," Gurski said.