Problems stall free ride for Hunts Point workers
By Justin Franco
A new high-tech shuttle bus that was supposed to begin ferrying workers to and from subway and bus stops in Hunts Point to their jobs in the Hunts Point food distribution center is stuck in the garage, for now.
The service, which was supposed to debut on Oct. 22, has been temporarily put on hold because of a technical problem with the buses, which are the first anywhere to use an environmentally-advanced operating systems.
Once the kinks are ironed out, the energy efficient fleet will offer workers a free ride to the Southeast quadrant of the Hunts Point Market.
“It’s taken about four years for this project to become a reality,” said Kate Shackford, director of the Bronx Initiative for Energy and the Environment. Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr., and the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC) established the energy and the environment initiative in an effort to make the Bronx more environmentally friendly.
“One reason it took quite a while is new buses part of a brand new fleet of buses that are environmentally friendly and environmentally advanced,” Shackford continued.
A technical problem with the fleet was discovered during a trial run and it was decided to stop the service so that the problem can be fixed and interruptions in service can be avoided.
According to Christina Ficicchia, BOEDC’s Economic and Environmental Planner, the buses should be back in service by late November.