Remember when the city launched its Select Bus Service program in October on First and Second Avenues and had a whole lot of problems? And how Mayor Bloomberg said nobody would write about how the program was a success in six months? Well, we do. We mentioned how well it was doing in January and now we're happy to mention that newly released stats from the DOT show the experiment is actually doing really, really well. Y'know, if you believe everything the DOT says. more ›

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. more ›

On Friday, straphanger Daryn Mayer served as a cautionary tale for anyone thinking of getting on the Select Bus Service with just a MetroCard. She claims that she boarded the bus with her card, was told that she needed a ticket, but that the driver said she could ride for free—until inspectors boarded and fined her $100. But what happens if your good intentions are thwarted only by your messy purse? Yvette Stokes claims that she was fined $100 for not having a ticket when it took her too long to find it in her bag. more ›

One woman's rush hour bus ride Tuesday afternoon resulted in a $100 fine, and she wants the whole world to hear her cautionary tale. Daryn Mayer was running to catch a bus that had its front doors closed, so she jumped on via the open back doors and dutifully made her way to the front to swipe her MetroCard. But unfortunately for Mayer, this was an M15 Select Bus, and SBS [Select Bus Service] requires straphangers to swipe their MetroCards at a sidewalk machine. After arguing with the driver, she claims she was told, "OK, don't pay. Ride for free." But at the next stop, the dreaded inspectors got on, demanding to see her papers (receipt). more ›

The MTA has been trying everything to get you to stay out of the East Side bus lanes. It has posted misspelled PSA signs. It has threatened fines and camera enforcement. But apparently, this isn't enough to keep everyone from partying it up in those sweet lanes. So the MTA is turning to the enemy of its enemy, cyclists, to keep everyone in line. more ›

The MTA is very serious about you taking their new SBS M15 Bus Service Lanes seriously. They don't want you parking your cars or your bikes or you butts in the lane, and they don't want you driving in it (except to make immediate right turns). Today, they announced that camera enforcement of the Service Lanes along First and Second avenues will formally begin this Monday. And it'll come with a stiff penalty: any unauthorized use of the bus lanes is subject to a $115 ticket. The MTA has also begun a charm offensive online, putting up banners ads which read, “Riding the bus costs $2.25. Driving in the bus lane costs $115. Bus lanes will now be camera-enforced." So you have till this Monday to doing something really transgressive in the bus lane unencumbered by the watchful eye of Big Brother. more ›

A few weeks ago, the MTA introduced a new Select Bus Service on the M15 line, where riders are required to buy tickets on the street to board. In an effort to keep things moving quickly, nobody actually checks or scans that you have a ticket, you're just expected to have one in case someone asks, or risk a $100 fine. Bloomberg assured the public that most people are good, upstanding citizens who would never dream of cheating the MTA out of a $2.25 fare. Raise your hand if you can guess what happened when enforcement agents were dispatched on the bus this week. more ›

When the MTA debuted the SBS M15 service last week, it seemed to be plagued with problems. Cars were parked in the bus lanes, people were confused by the new ticket system, and, like with pretty much every other bus route, buses would strand riders for lengthy periods of time only to reappear five at a time. And now, after throwing away money by building new ticketing kiosks and designing new buses, the MTA is doing what it probably should have done in the first place by adding more buses to the line. more ›

Yesterday, the city rolled out its second Select Bus Service to replace the M15 Limited, the first having replaced the old Bx12. The bus will run in exclusive traffic lanes and requires riders to pay at the curb so nobody holds up the bus while trying to remember in which pocket their MetroCard is hiding. Mayor Bloomberg was among the first passengers, and told the Daily News, "We're really rolling out the red carpet for bus riders." However, the carpet had some kinks. more ›

[Updated] A few of our readers have noticed MetroCard vending machines fare collectors* on the Upper East Side. Situated outside a Duane Reade on East 86th Street and First Avenue, the two MetroCard fare collectors, plus a coin fare collector, are part of the Select Bus Service for the M15. more ›

The city and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority unveiled plans for an expansive overhaul of First and Second avenues intended to make commuting by bus and bicycle faster and safer. The proposed redesign stretches from Houston Street to 125th Street, and it calls for so-called select protected bike lanes, pedestrian refuges, and the implementation of so-called select bus service and other bus improvements planned to reduce travel times by 20 to 25 percent. more ›

After years of planning, the MTA has re-launched bus service along the Bx12 route, which travels through the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. A NYC Transit director for bus service planning, Ted Orosz, tells the NY Times, "It looks cooler, it’s faster, it will run a little more frequently. All those things should increase ridership.” more ›