The population of the New York metropolitan area is about 19 million people. The City of New York, which includes the five boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island, exceeds 8.3 million people. This is close in size to the population of Sweden, my home country. Manhattan, where I now live and work, has approximately 1.7 million residents on 23 square miles.
Every weekday, nearly 8 million people commute into Manhattan for work!
Why supply all these facts? First, it amazes me that the system works! And second, to emphasize the enormous need of moving people in the NYC area, or in any city, for that matter.
While there are over 15,000 taxi cabs operating throughout New York City, people also take other forms of transportation such as the subway, bus, train, ferry, car, bicycle or just walk. However, New York City has the largest mass transit system and usage in the country, with well over half of the commuters traveling to work by some form of public transportation, including the bus system.
The City has a fleet of over 5,000 buses owned by the Metropolitan Transit Authority or MTA, delivering over 2 million passengers daily to their destination. The largest fleet of clean air diesel-hybrid and compressed natural gas buses in the country operate in the five boroughs of New York City. Almost 25% of the entire fleet is fitted with technology that is an alternative to diesel fuel.
With clearly significant transportation needs, New York is just one of many cities in the United States that represent an untapped market and an opportunity for one of the companies within the Volvo Group - Nova Bus, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volvo Bus.
Last year, the New York MTA purchased 90 Nova LFS articulated buses, which are being assembled in the new, US-based Nova Bus plant located in Plattsburgh, NY. Delivery of these buses will occur in the first half of 2010.
I look forward to seeing our buses on the streets of New York City, supporting transportation needs and providing part of the solution in meeting the massive logistical challenges we have here.
We hope that the people of New York enjoy their commuting experience on the new Nova Buses and that more people continue to use the local bus system, hopefully in a bus provided by the Volvo Group!
Let's keep New York City rolling!
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