NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- MTA workers will begin to install platforms that will improve bus boarding on 14th Street in Manhattan, starting Thursday.
The platforms will be installed at seven M14 Select Bus Service stops now that the Manhattan street busway is only accessible to buses and emergency vehicles.
According to the transit agency, the curb will be extended and drivers won't have to pull up to the sidewalk, which will allow for faster pick-ups and drop-offs to occur as well as make it safer for riders to get from the sidewalk to the bus.
Transit officials say crews will work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to install the platforms and each bus stop will take six days.
Work will be done on two bus stops at a time, and the stops will never be consecutive allowing for rider to use the next closest stop.Construction is set to begin at the westbound M14 SBS bus stop at Seventh Avenue and at Fifth Avenue and is expected to be complete by December, according to the DOT.The platforms are panels that snap together and are bolted to the ground and are often made from recycled plastic.
Some will be island shaped in order to leave room for bicyclists and significantly cut down on delays, according to the DOT.
The MTA’s NYC Transit will install the platforms while the DOT will inspect and maintain them.