Fast Bus-Only Lanes Headed To 1st And 2nd Avenues

The MTA is considering rolling out bus-only lanes on First and Second avenues that the agency says might shorten commutes between Houston Street and 125th Street. The "East Side speedway" could be laid down by September 2010, and the agency is planning to stock up on "dozens of super-stretch buses for the new service," the Daily News reports.

The new 62-foot-long buses will have three doors instead of two, potentially allowing faster passenger loading and unloading. In a move the paper claims might end "the torturously slow one-by-one shuffle of passengers past the onboard farebox," commuters will swipe their MetroCards at curbside machines before they board the bus and receive printed slips proving they've paid the fare. The city is also planning to equip the buses with wireless technology that will change red lights to green lights when they approach, and in some places, the city might separate the bus lanes from other traffic with physical barriers.

But the biking and mass transit advocacy group Transportation Alternatives says the proposed high-speed bus route — which would be the city's second following the apparently successful Bx12 in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx — doesn't do enough, arguing instead for two bus lanes on each avenue, as well as barriers along the entire route, and new cycling lanes. "First and Second avenues need a game-changer," spokesman Wiley Norvell told the paper. "With 58,000 bus riders, 3,500 cyclists and hundreds of thousands of pedestrians using this corridor, it's high time we designed a true 21st century street that serves everybody."

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By Ben Muessig in News on November 18, 2009 3:27 PM

Comments [rss]

nivek

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=&sll=35.711395,139.788666&sspn=0.278767,0.617294&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&ll=35.711395,139.788666&spn=0.278767,0.617294&z=11&lci=transit

This is the selfless city of Tokyo which has the world's best rapid transit system. Albeit not 24H, this is what happens when you stop being such whiny fucks. Apparently it hasn't sunk in why we've been so behind over the last 50 years. We want the best and don't settle for anything short of that, so we get nowhere.

So what is my point? This bus thing is good enough for now. The more cars it gets off the roads during the morning and evening commutes, the better. Just need to build off the momentum of fixing little things here and there. The more you prevent any progress from happening, the more you fall behind.

Keith Johnson

Kind of sad, I honestly don't really believe that these bus-only lanes really work, I'm having a hard time picturing people actually respecting them..

ohhleary

Then why has the Bx12 decreased its travel time significantly with no physical barrier between the bus lane and car lanes? It's a start. And most of the proposals for the 1st and 2nd Avenue bus lanes are physically separated.

whitecastlerock

The city is also planning to equip the buses with wireless technology that will change red lights to green lights when they approach So they can freely mow down anyone or anything that might get in their way...

IvoryJive

Forgive my optimism, but if we could have separated bus-only lanes with extra-long buses, off-board fare collection and traffic signal priority, greatly speeding up bus service for tens of thousands of riders and making it a meaningful transit option on avenues not served by subways, then I think it would be a really good thing. Just my humble opinion.

My guess is not one of the people complaining in these comments is a regular bus rider. And I'm not surprised - riding the bus is slow and it sucks. Glad the city is trying something to make it work better.

NannyState

Like EVERY OTHER MAJOR CITY IN THE COUNTRY? Are you crazy?

ohhleary

Actually, New York would be among the first cities in the country to have the system IvoryJive describes.

pinball29

Trust me, this is the back-up plan for when the 2nd Ave subway gets derailed for the zillionth time. The incompetent corrupt officials can point to this and ask why do we need a subway?

UnrepentantFenian

I love that the MTA under King Mike outfitted these buses with flashing blue lights on the front. According to NYS vehicle traffic laws, blue lights to the fron are reserved solely for the use of volunteer firefighters.

longacre

The Mayor of New York City has little to no input on the operations of the MTA, but maybe, just maybe, Mike Bloomberg called the bus factory directly and had these blue lights installed behind the MTA's back.

dr zippy

New York should never try anything new!

KKB

Ok, so am I just dreaming this is happening? I just left the Upper East Side because of the "T" Line Subway construction project. There's barely existing sidewalk for pedestrians as it is, much less enough traffic lane real estate for vehicles. So what are they going to do? Wipe out the businesses that remain (those who have not already been run out of the neighborhood, that is) to add lanes where the construction has deleted street? WTH...

zodak

curbside machines suck. the bus driver ends up telling everyone looking for the metrocard reader that they have to use a curbside machine, so all those people get off the bus, use the machine, then get back on, while the driver waits. it's a stupid idea!

HOTCUP

it's called learning. it happens basically every time something changes. i guess you're too young to remember the switch from tokens to metrocards?

the alternative is the ridiculous system that we have now, where the bus has to wait for every goddamn person to swipe before it can move anyway.

zodak

christ, you're stupid. i'm talking about something i experience at every stop. this actually happens on the 12 bus in the bronx right now & it's going to happen on bus routes that go past the UN, the tram & the village thanks to tourists.

btw, i'm old enough to remember when the fare was 65¢

buttface

Bahahahaha. Bus-only lanes. Like the ones that are already all over the city? Right.

Bahahahahahahaha. Printed tickets. Perfect. More litter and paper waste, anyone? (Not to mention the insanely high costs of maintaining such antiquated tech?)

aed

I agree. There are so many Bus Only lanes in the city but the cops park there. Bus traffic would actually more quickly if the cops would stop parking there asses in the lanes and stand there chatting it up with tourists. But who do you complain to? The cops? hahahahahaha

Blue387

I personally believe this form of bus rapid transit would be better off on the west side of Manhattan where the trains don't go. Somewhere west of the A/C/E trains and the 1/2/3 lines.

imadick

i personally believe that more transit should service the places i like to go to

Polite New Yorker

I live in Inwood where I can catch the Bx12 express bus. The authorities painted those bus-only lanes in our neighborhood, but people park in them all the time. They forgot to remove the parking meters and start towing cars.