_8470.jpg){kind=link}
For all the talk of transit delays and MTA woes, New York City’s bus network is hardly mentioned. For anyone, though, who has had to venture beyond the reach of subway, out where the sidewalks end and people actually have driver licenses, it is not just a boon but a necessity. While the underground world of public transit is NYC’s heart and soul, the bus routes are its arteries and, at the end of the day, they may not feel as unique but they’re arguably just as vital.
________
Tomorrow night, the busses are getting the spotlight for once. At least at one bar in Bushwick. The Riders Alliance, a hard-working group of grassroots transit enthusiasts who take elected officials to task and serve as a voice for straphangers, are hosting Buses, Beers and Bytes: A Happy Hour for Tech and Public Transit in New York. In addition to snacks and drinks at Bushwick’s CARTO (201 Moore St.), the evening will also feature a panel of and discussion with speakers passionate about upgrading the network and making busters faster and more reliable.
________
The speakers will be Lela Prashad, CEO and Co-Founder at NiJeL; Tabitha Decker, Director of Research & NYC Program Director at TransitCenter; and Natasha Saunders, Riders Alliance member-leader.
The happy hour will go from 6:30 to 8:30pm tomorrow, Tuesday July 25. The event is free with RSVP.
Also, pro tip in case you didn’t already know (and you should, cause it’s existed for years): You can find out, reliably, how far away your bus is with the MTA Bus Time site.