Considering city street conditions, a union leader thinks the $27.99/hour wage earned by some senior bus drivers is completely merited. "New York City bus operators work in the most dangerous work environment of any bus operators in the country," Transport Workers Union Local 100 President John Samuelsen told the Daily News. "The notion that they are overpaid is now clearly debunked." Even at that generous rate, NYC bus drivers aren’t the best paid in the nation, according to a ranking by a transit research firm. In Boston, bus drivers earn $30.18/hour, and in San Jose, Chicago, Seattle and Rockville they get close to that much. Still, another recent ranking showed NY traffic could be a lot worse.