Photo: Tracey Friedman/NYU
NYU’s campus shuttles will soon have some new riders: up to 50 older neighbors who live near the university.
Starting Monday, Nov. 2, NYU will accept applications for a pilot program that gives residents 65 and older free rides on its shuttles. To qualify, applicants must live in Manhattan Community Board 2 or Community Board 3, or in Brooklyn Community Board 2.
The pilot covers seven NYU routes serving Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side, parts of Chinatown, the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village area and Downtown Brooklyn. During the academic year, the shuttles run on weekdays from 7 a.m. to midnight. One route runs on weekends, and service is reduced during summer and school breaks. Riders can follow the buses on NYU’s live shuttle map.
Spots will go to applicants in the order they apply, so it’s worth applying early. Applications are on paper only. A downloadable PDF will be posted on NYU’s website on Nov. 2, and printed copies will be available at senior centers in Manhattan Community District 2. Seniors who are accepted get an NYU Affiliate ID Card, which they show to ride for free. Questions can go to 212-998-2400.
The pilot was Council Member Harvey Epstein’s idea. He told amNewYork he wanted the university to be more involved in the surrounding community, and his office had heard from constituents who wanted more ways to get around.
“This is another way to get free buses available to a lot of our seniors on fixed incomes,” Epstein said.
In the university’s announcement, NYU President Linda G. Mills said the school is “always looking for new ways to support our neighbors.” Community Board 2 Chair Valerie De La Rosa said the program “is a meaningful step toward helping older New Yorkers remain independent, mobile and connected.”
The program comes a few weeks after NYU pledged $6 million over four years to Washington Square Park.
