MTA gets spooked by Halloween vandalism threat

The threat of Halloween mischief means the MTA may shorten some bus routes today, and leave out certain stops altogether.

Portions of three bus routes may be skipped, according to MTA officials; those three routes are the Bx8 in Edgewater Park, the Bx24 in the Country Club section of the Bronx, and the B31 in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn, a bus that’s often a target for chucked ice and snowballs during the winter months.

The MTA has shut down lines in those areas in years past to avoid vandalism, such as egg-throwing.

The MTA will work with the NYPD today to determine what routes need to be curtailed.

The concerns come at a time when assaults on bus drivers are on the rise. Nearly 70 bus drivers were assaulted in the first nine months of this year, compared with 57 drivers in that same time period in 2010, according to the Daily News.

The City Council will convene a hearing this afternoon to address the increase in attacks.

Part of the hearing will assess the results of two pilot programs meant to keep drivers safe: The use of thick plastic partitions to separate drivers and riders, and on-board cameras.