The number of people who died in a MTA bus accident in New York jumped from 4 in 2011 to 8 in 2012 and 10 in 2013. Since the beginning of 2014 5 have died to date and if the trend continues that would be 12 for 2014.

An increased number of people dying in MTA bus collisions in NYC prompted Traffic Safety Advocates to ask that The MTA be included in the Vision Zero plan to end traffic fatalities. (See New York Post)

For the first 3 months of 2014, 5 people lost their lives in a MTA bus accident. In the most recent case a young pedestrian, 23 year old Marisol Martinez (picture), was killed in a crosswalk after witnesses said the bus driver didn’t yield. (see previous post). Another young women, Martha Tibillin-Guamug, 25, died after she was struck by a bus in a busy intersection of Brooklyn (see Streetblog) and in January, Pedro Santiago a bicyclist died after colliding with a MTA bus in Harlem. (see previous blog)

In another case, a motorist died after having a stroke and striking a bus. In the fifth case the bus driver died after an out of control drunk driver crashed into his bus (see previous blog).

If the number of MTA bus accident deaths for the first 3 months was projected to the complete year that would make an estimated 12 deaths related to MTA bus accidents for 2014. Something has to be done to stop this trend and it may be a good idea that MTA be included in the Vision Zero Initiative.