| In the Brooklyn College neighborhood, dollar vans travel up and down the following main roads: Flatbush Avenue, Nostrand Avenue and Avenue H. When traffic becomes too congested they will sometimes turn down another street to avoid it but will return to the main road. Dollar vans can also make drop offs and stops whenever a passenger requests it, possibly charging more. |
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Some members of the community view dollar vans or cars as troublemakers. They are said to congest streets and cause traffic problems. With all of these so called problems, many people still flock to these modes of transportation because of their convenience and reliability: especially in cases where the MTA buses are not running well enough. They provide a quick and comfortable substitute for the sometimes crowded, noisy and late buses. People rely on these dollar vans for a quick, convenient and friendly ride. Fun loving Caribbean natives who add to the sense of communityand play a major role in the day-to-day activities of this neighborhood, drive these dollar vans. |
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| Quote from a dollar van passenger: “In times of heavy snow or rain, or upon arriving to a bus stop and having the bus door close in my face… in those times I appreciate the dollar vans/cars because I would otherwise be forced to wait in the bad weather another 20 minutes to an hour for another to show up… Look at the express (limited) buses now, my bus stop is midway between express bus stops, this means that if I want to get the express bus to get to the subway quickly, I would have to walk 5 blocks to catch it, instead of doing this, I can jump on the dollar van and get there quickly and be on my way. I sometimes get off the train after midnight, even at 2 in the morning, when the buses run only once per hour, and the dollar vans and cars are operating!” |
| Quote from a dollar van driver: “My name is Jason Lambert I am from Trinidad … Many people utilize the dollar van systems as it is convenient … we stop where the people want to and we are still cheaper than the MTA. The vans run 24/7 in certain areas with the peak hours being between 8 am to 10 am and 3 pm to 6 pm. The vans are no longer dollar vans but commuter vans as the price which was once 1 dollar is now 1.50 … my route is between Kings Plaza and downtown Brooklyn and the biggest problem is the harassment from the police who seem to always want to issue me a ticket.” |
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