A month into the debut of New York City’s Select Bus Service on First and Second Avenues, the route has been a clear success, data released yesterday by city and MTA officials shows. The package of fare collection, bus, and street design improvements has sped up buses on Manhattan’s East Side by 12-16 minutes over the old limited-stop service at rush hour (a 14-19% improvement in travel times). Service should continue to improve with the introduction of the region’s only bus-lane enforcement cameras along the lanes next Monday.
Bus lane enforcement cameras had proven their effectiveness as a way to speed up buses in London and other cities around the world, but using them in NYC required approval of the State Legislature, which was withheld for years. Albany finally OKed the cameras this summer after a sustained advocacy effort, allowing the city to use them on five routes.
The M15, which runs on First and Second Avenues, is the second-busiest bus route in the city, carrying over 53,000 riders on an average weekday.
Public Meeting on Staten Island Bus Study is Dec. 2
Similar measures planned for Hylan Boulevard on Staten Island have met with opposition from local politicians in the past. But there’s a clear need for bus improvements; the avenue is among the busiest for buses on the Island, with 31,400 riders a day. On December 2, NYCDOT and NYC Transit will host a public meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Renaissance, 2131 Hylan Blvd. on Staten Island; officials say they are looking for input on “transit service, traffic conditions, pedestrian safety and curb use on Hylan Blvd.”
Will the cameras also lead to the city cracking down on BoltBus/MegaBus/other private company buses blocking the bus lane (along with half the pedestrian space on the adjacent sidewalks) to allow the MTA buses to get past? Excellent concept as long as the city follows through with proper enforcement.
This is no good
every body dist but bus drv not use the bus all bus drv and bycl always drive worng thank you your choice
I got caught at one on the corner of 86th and First.
[…] it better compliments the subway. The B44 will follow the Bx12 on Fordham Road in the Bronx and the M15 along First and Second Avenues in Manhattan, the first and third busiest bus routes in the city, […]
[…] bus-only lanes, roomier buses, and pay-before-you-board fare collection (similar to NYC’s Select Bus Service) and a new “in-line” bus station and pedestrian overpass that would let buses drop […]