Lakewood haredim have amassed almost 1000 signatures – including leading rabbis – demanding that Monsey Trails gender-segregate its commuter buses with an actual physical partition. The buses run between Lakewood and Monsey-area haredi communities. Monsey Trails responded by pointing out that gender segregation is illegal on publicly funded buses.
Lakewood haredim have amassed almost 1000 signatures – including leading rabbis – demanding that Monsey Trails gender-segregate its commuter buses with an actual physical partition. The buses run between Lakewood, New York City, and Monsey-area haredi communities. A community meeting to demand this gender-segregation is also being planned.
Monsey Trails responded by pointing out that gender segregation is illegal on publicly funded buses according to a Hebrew-language report on the Israeli haredi news website Behadrei Haredim.
Monsey Trails uses the situation in Williamsburg on the city's B110 bus to explain to Behadrei Haredim why it cannot comply with these new haredi demands. It is a public city bus route operated by a private hasidic-owned bus company. It illegally gender-segregated and was caught – in part by FailedMessiah.com.
It is unclear how that situation would apply to these commuter buses – unless they operate as public buses that anyone who is willing to pay can board.
If that is the case (and I believe it is), then the gender-segregation would almost certainly be illegal.