Results tagged “doubledecker”

The MTA's new double decker bus prototype made its maiden voyage this morning, and the Daily News was on board to get the awe-inspired reactions from riders. Staten Island's Chris Maffeo doesn't seem to get out much: "This is unbelievable. Wow—look at the people down there. They look so far away." And 38-year-old Laura Liamero practically swooned: "This seat is first class—front row—the orchestra seat!" One drawback, though, is the cramped second deck, which is only 5'7" from floor to ceiling. Says 6'2" Matthew Wagner, "I feel like a freakin' midget, but with this view up here it's definitely worth the hunched over walk." And get a load of this feature: Since the bus is too tall for the Lincoln Tunnel's 13-foot height limit, it uses GPS technology to recognize when it approaches the tunnel, at which point an air valve is automatically activated to lower the bus two inches! Your move, Gray Line.

Ain't she a beaut? Making good on their promise last May, today New York City Transit officials unveiled their hotly-anticipated double-decker bus, the first municipal double-decker bus to cruise the streets since 1953. According to a press release, the 13-foot tall, high-capacity coach will run for the next 30 days along selected local and express bus routes in order to test its suitability for service.

New York City bus riders could soon be commuting just like the tourists if the MTA follows through on their tall talk about bringing double-decker buses back into circulation. The Post reports that NYC Transit President Howard Roberts floated the idea before the MTA board yesterday; the double-deckers are appealing because they fit more passengers and, according to transit officials, actually cost less to maintain.