The Select Bus Success Story Bloomberg Said You'd Never See

When they first hit Second Avenue, the Select Bus Service buses were plagued with ticketing problems and slow service. It was so bad that the city had to add extra buses along the line, which made all the money they put into the new SBS buses sound like a waste. Mayor Bloomberg defended the project in October, saying, "I'm sure you'll write a big exposé that it's a total failure, and six months from now, you will never write the story that it's the success that it's going to be." Well Bloomberg, this post is for you, because the MTA seems to have the SBS working smoothly.

According to MTA data, M15 service from East Harlem to South Ferry has been cut by 12 to 16 minutes. The MTA attributes the speed to riders figuring out how to use the sidewalk ticket machines, as well as dedicated bus lanes and the harsh fines for those who drive in them. NYC Transit President Thomas Prendergast told the Daily News, "The success of these first [Select Bus] corridors in reducing travel times shows the enormous potential that exists if we can put ideas into play across the city." They also acknowledge the trips would be even faster without all that pesky Second Avenue Subway work.

Police have also ticketed 15,200 violators of the bus-only lanes and towed 156 cars since October, some based on footage taken from cameras installed along the avenues. Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said a wireless system for extending green lights for buses will go online later this year.

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By Jaya Saxena in News on January 19, 2011 4:17 PM

Comments [rss]

EdStevens

I ride this, I am the man. The local bus is oudated and for losers/ idiots who can't figure out how to join the rest of us superior bus riders.

merryquitecontrary

woah dude, don't get so cocky...

EdStevens

No need to get pissed just cuz you can't take this bus to your home in East Flatbush

kevd

But you will be able to take the next SBS route to East Flatbush.
Cause it will run the length of Nostrand and Rogers.

Guest

I love that new bus. But what's up with the LOCAL M15 service? I don't even bother waiting for it any more. In the evenings, around 7pm and later, I've waited up to 40 minutes for it, in the freezing cold. Even though the schedule says there should be one every 10 minutes.

I watch 3 or 4 EMPTY select busses fly by. I can't take that bus all of the time cause it skips a lot of stops. I love it, but they need to find some kind of a balance.

I have no name

At most you're walking 5 blocks in either direction. You probably could have walked them in the 40 minutes you were waiting for that local bus.

Guest

Not really. It stops at Madison Street & Catherine Street in Chinatown, then stops at Grand Street & Allen. That's like 7 blocks. From there it passes Delancey (which I don't understand), then it passes Houston St. to 3rd St. and 1st Ave., ten more blocks to 13th Street, ten more blocks to 23rd St., etc, etc.

I love walking. But a couple of those bitter cold nights and snowy nights, were not great for a stroll. Or when I'm carrying something heavy, I don't care to walk that much. Not to mention the elderly and the handicapped.

40 minutes is too much. When the bus finally arrives and I ask the driver what happened, they're all surprised that it's been so long.

TheLexiphane

I'll give Bloomberg credit where credit's due here: SBS on the East Side of Manhattan is very impressive, and it was badly needed. Don't say I never said anything nice about him.

diablofreak

i took this bus from downtown to midtown, it was surprisingly fast

the only complaint is that the bus driver waited almost 2 minutes for 2 fat ladies getting their tickets from the machine.