Big Rollout of Bright Red Buses for Lower Manhattan Loop

A new Downtown Connection bus at Warren and Greenwich Street in Tribeca, one of 37 stops on its route between the east and west sides of Lower Manhattan. The bus's exterior is designed by Downtown Alliance graphic artist Bathsheba Parker. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

A fleet of brand new Downtown Connection buses began making their rounds on Sunday and, as one passenger put it, “You can spot them from a mile away.”

Indeed, these bright red jitneys on their route between Battery Park City and South Street Seaport are sure to be eye-catchers. While the color may be the most striking change from the former fleet of white buses, just as significant is what’s inside.

“The main difference is that people will be able to stand in these buses,” said Jessica Lappin, president of Downtown Alliance, which contracts the free service, with a portion of the funding from the Battery Park City Authority.

Unlike the previous buses, which had no handrails and were meant to accommodate only as many people as there were seats, these have bars to hold. Along with their 22 seats, there is room for another six to eight standing passengers, according to Alliance officials.

“I’ll probably take it more now because I won’t be as worried about not getting a seat,” said Crystal Hall, a frequent Downtown Connection passenger who was riding one of the new buses for the first time.

Ron Wolfgang, the Alliance’s head of operations, said about 50,000 people ride the buses monthly, and the number has been dropping “slightly.”

“We’re hoping the ridership will go up,” Wolfgang said. “Just by people [better] recognizing that this is the bus, getting better customer service, better management from us and more consistency.”  

The new buses are manufactured by Turtle Top and operated by Golden Touch Transportation.

Alliance officials said a survey of riders confirmed needed changes in the service, and a request for proposals from operators reflected those requirements.

“We always want to find ways to do things better and we think that both in terms of the bus itself and the service, this is going to be an improvement,” Lappin said, following a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Warren Street stop in Tribeca. “Our riders will feel that and experience it.”  

Other improvements in the seven-bus fleet include wheelchair lifts that are toward the front of the bus instead of the back, closer to the drivers who operate them, and steps that are less steep. The GPS system, which tracks the waiting time for passengers, is being upgraded.

But some of the benefits of the new buses will best be appreciated by the drivers. One of those behind the wheel, Eddie Williams, praised the bus’s tighter turn radius, its suspension, and acceleration and braking response. “This bus here,” he said, “it’s like driving a Cadillac.”