Co-op City buses pass Harlem by
Title
Co-op City buses pass Harlem by
Vtmbh article article file
Vtmbh article article order
5
Vtmbh article author
Yusef Salaam
Vtmbh article blurb
Residents of Co-op City in the Bronx charge New York Bus Service with racism because the company refuses to stop on Harlems 125th Street en route to Manhattan. NYBS owners say the stop would effectively remove the express from its commuter express service.
Vtmbh article body
Residents of Co-op City in the Bronx are charging New York Bus Service with racism because the companys management refuses to make a stop on Harlems 125th Street en route from Co-op City to downtown Manhattan.
John Hill, a resident of Co-op City, said that the community has, for years, petitioned New York Bus Service management to include 125th Street and Fifth Avenue on its daily route. Many of us up here at Co-op City have relatives in Harlem that we visit, and many of us shop there, Hill said. Hill, who lost his job as a food service worker at the World Trade Center after the September 11th attacks, noted, New York Bus Service management is being very unreasonable. After all, a single stop in Harlem would be the one-and-only stop after the bus leaves Co-op City and goes to 86th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Hill said that currently, Co-op City residents have to take a bus to a subway train to get to Harlem.
City Councilman Larry Seabrooks (D-Bronx), a resident of Co-op City, said, I intend to speak to the MTA commissioner about the matter. He added, It makes absolutely no sense for New York Bus Service not to stop in Harlem. He emphasized that Harlem is not some isolated place in the wilderness. Harlem is a major cultural center. Former President Bill Clinton has an office on 125th Street. Theres a Starbucks, the Magic Johnson Theater, the Apollo and the Amsterdam News, Seabrooks said.
New York Bus Service President Jim OReilly said that the company values its Co-op City commuters, but adding a type of shuttle servicein this case, to Harlemwould effectively remove the express from our commuter express service. He also related, We have addressed this issue many times, explaining to members of the community that by combining a commuter express with a shuttle, NYBS would lose all its needed routing flexibility, thus adding to commuter travel and cost. OReilly concluded, The focus of NYBS is to exclusively provide commuter express service.
Hill pointed out, Liberty Line services the Riverdale section of the Bronx, which is mostly Jewish, yet Liberty Line stops in Harlem. He bristled, Something is wrong with the management at the New York Bus Service, and I believe it is racism.
Liberty Line spokeswoman Sabina Perez said that Liberty Line does stop in Harlem. There was a time when we did not stop in Harlem. We started stopping in Harlem after then-Mayor David Dinkins petitioned us to stop there. She pointed out, While we do stop in Harlem on 125th Street and Fifth Avenue, we only pick up passengers there; it is not a stop for people to get off, because we do not want to infringe on the MTAs business.
Hill said, There are enough Black people up here in Co-op City to make a stop in Harlem viable for New York Bus Service.
Seabrooks said that he would support community initiatives to force management of the company to be more conciliatory, including direct action.
John Hill, a resident of Co-op City, said that the community has, for years, petitioned New York Bus Service management to include 125th Street and Fifth Avenue on its daily route. Many of us up here at Co-op City have relatives in Harlem that we visit, and many of us shop there, Hill said. Hill, who lost his job as a food service worker at the World Trade Center after the September 11th attacks, noted, New York Bus Service management is being very unreasonable. After all, a single stop in Harlem would be the one-and-only stop after the bus leaves Co-op City and goes to 86th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Hill said that currently, Co-op City residents have to take a bus to a subway train to get to Harlem.
City Councilman Larry Seabrooks (D-Bronx), a resident of Co-op City, said, I intend to speak to the MTA commissioner about the matter. He added, It makes absolutely no sense for New York Bus Service not to stop in Harlem. He emphasized that Harlem is not some isolated place in the wilderness. Harlem is a major cultural center. Former President Bill Clinton has an office on 125th Street. Theres a Starbucks, the Magic Johnson Theater, the Apollo and the Amsterdam News, Seabrooks said.
New York Bus Service President Jim OReilly said that the company values its Co-op City commuters, but adding a type of shuttle servicein this case, to Harlemwould effectively remove the express from our commuter express service. He also related, We have addressed this issue many times, explaining to members of the community that by combining a commuter express with a shuttle, NYBS would lose all its needed routing flexibility, thus adding to commuter travel and cost. OReilly concluded, The focus of NYBS is to exclusively provide commuter express service.
Hill pointed out, Liberty Line services the Riverdale section of the Bronx, which is mostly Jewish, yet Liberty Line stops in Harlem. He bristled, Something is wrong with the management at the New York Bus Service, and I believe it is racism.
Liberty Line spokeswoman Sabina Perez said that Liberty Line does stop in Harlem. There was a time when we did not stop in Harlem. We started stopping in Harlem after then-Mayor David Dinkins petitioned us to stop there. She pointed out, While we do stop in Harlem on 125th Street and Fifth Avenue, we only pick up passengers there; it is not a stop for people to get off, because we do not want to infringe on the MTAs business.
Hill said, There are enough Black people up here in Co-op City to make a stop in Harlem viable for New York Bus Service.
Seabrooks said that he would support community initiatives to force management of the company to be more conciliatory, including direct action.
Vtmbh article date
2002-07-31
Vtmbh article edition
29
Vtmbh article hit count
96
Vtmbh article keywords
Vtmbh article line breaks
1
Vtmbh article original language
English
Vtmbh article publication
Amsterdam News
Vtmbh article section
news
Vtmbh article thumb
Vtmbh article title
Co-op City buses pass Harlem by
Vtmbh article translator
Source
born-digital
Media Type
article
Original Name
Residents of Co-op City in the Bronx charge New York Bus Service with racism because the company ref
Created by Author
yes
Described by Author
no
Date Entered
2002-07-31
Collection
Citation
“Co-op City buses pass Harlem by,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed October 1, 2026, https://911.dev.chnm.gmu.edu/items/1290/.