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If the city and state have privileged drivers in this particular debate—a posture that would be at odds with Bloomberg’s own thoughts on the matter—they also haven’t been all that ambitious in charting out new routes for select bus routes, or creating connections between them, so as to create an actual network, rather than a series of individual, standalone lines.
This, despite the fact that New Yorkers are increasingly commuting between and within boroughs, rather than merely into Manhattan.
All four select bus service routes thus far run along already existing bus routes. Select Bus Service just makes those buses run along those routes faster.
There’s also not much connectivity between routes, which is essential for an effective surface transportation system.
“Basically what they’re doing is taking existing routes like the M15 or the Nostrand Avenue Corridor or Fordham Corridor and just ramping up service,” said Giles.
The number of SBS could double with in the next year, as the city and state plot out three routes to LaGuardia Airport, a route along Webster Avenue in the Bronx, and Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn, and possibly also one along Utica Avenue.
"SBS improvements are already speeding up trips for 213,000 daily passengers, saving some 609 years of cumulative travel time each year," said Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, in a statement.
It's working, on some modest level: Ridership is growing more quickly on SBS routes than on the rest of the bus system.
"It can't be called a failure," said Barone. "The jury's out whether it's a complete success."
But with 1 million more residents expected to live in New York City by 2030, and some of New York City's subway lines already nearing capacity, Hook says New York City will have no choice but to do yet more and built a truly robust bus rapid transit system.
"I think if New York City continues to add density at its current rate, it really doesn’t have any other choice, because the subways, certain links of the subway are really saturated right now," he said.
ON A RECENT MONDAY MORNING, I BOARDED THE 34TH STREET Select Bus Service at 35th Street and the East River.
It was 9:15 am.
The bus headed south one block, veered west, and began its not terribly slow (but also not terribly fast) progress to the West Side.
The bus had only two doors, not the three doors considered preferable for rapid bus service, but they did open simultaneously at every stop, allowing passengers to flow in and out both entrances, their fares already paid.
We stopped at First Avenue, and then again half a block later, at the red light near the entrance to the Queens Midtown Tunnel.
We stopped to pick up passengers at Second Avenue, then for a red light at Third Avenue, then again between Third and Lexington to pick up passengers, then for a red light at Lexington Avenue, across from the Murray Hill Market.
The bus pushed onward, only to stop at Park Avenue, then again between Park and Madison.
A would-be passenger got confused by the new, off-board payment system.
“Put the card in the machine and get a receipt,” the driver instructed her. She obeyed, and before she could return, he drove off.
We stopped for a red light at Fifth Avenue, at Broadway, again in front of Macy's, then between Seventh and Eighth avenues, and again at Madison Square Garden, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, and then again at Ninth.
I disembarked.
It was 9:35. The whole trip had taken approximately 20 minutes. Distance covered: 1.5 miles. Which means the bus had traveled at an average speed of roughly 4.5 miles miles per hour.
According to Google Maps, it would have taken a half hour to walk.
This otherwise fine article fails to mention the folly of "articulated buses," which only take the stain and pour hot water all over it. They clog streets when they're turning, and when parked create chaos for an entire block. The problem started when Els and trolleys succumbed to Detroit's strong arm after WWII -- after years of no car production but having gov't contracts to build tanks and other armaments, GM and others wanted something new to build...like buses. When you break it down, unless used as you suggest here, they magnify most traffic problems.
I take issue with the assertion that buses were more resilient or reliable than bikes after Sandy. Bikes move about twice as fast than buses on a good day, and you don't need to wait for them. In the days after Sandy, bikes moved at least ten times faster than buses (at least in Manhattan), and you didn't need to wait in a huge line and then be squeezed like a sardine.
The only issue is availability, of course, you did need to own a bike in advance of the storm. :)
That's true, for sure. But not everyone can ride a bike. Everyone can ride a bus.
Mr Giles has it backwards. The MTA is spending billions building the Second Ave subway because it was easier to do that politically than create a true BRT line in the same corridor. Spending borrowed billions is is cheaper politically than paying the cost of reallocating the cost of the street space on First and Second Ave. BRT would have cost one tenth as much as the subway, and much less time to build. But, true BRT isn't going to work in many places unless NYC has a road pricing system in place to reduce peak hour traffic on the busiest streets --- like First and Second which carry enormous traffic from the free Queensboro Bridge. And, NYC has a political system able to take on established entitlements --- like the overwhelming allocation of public road space to private cars. Despite the bellowing at the Post, the Bloomberg administration has taken only a tiny amount of arterial road space, and none where it would potentially create peak-hour motor vehicle problems. There is no feared bus passenger lobby in NYC to counteract the angry merchants and other drivers unwilling to cede an inch of the public road space they have effectively appropriated. We do not have a government that provides the greatest good for the greatest number. If we did, BRT would be everywhere.
Pratt Center has mapped what a real BRT network could look like: http://prattcenter.net/bus-rapid-transit
And here’s what it could do for the 758,000 New Yorkers who travel over 60 minutes to work each way. http://prattcenter.net/transportation-equity-atlas . BRT could be a fast, cost-effective way to connect people to jobs outside of Manhattan’s Central Business District – but our political leaders would have to listen to their constituents, and tune out transit-bashing TV and tabloid reporters to make it happen. DOT / MTA have learned how to work with communities to plan new routes – but they need to devote more staff time and bandwidth to accelerating the rollout.
BUT a lot of bus riders could be cycling instead -- this would take pressure off of the system.
Pratt Center has mapped what a real BRT network could look like: http://prattcenter.net/bus-rapid-transit
And here’s what it could do for the 758,000 New Yorkers who travel over 60 minutes to work each way. http://prattcenter.net/transportation-equity-atlas . BRT could be a fast, cost-effective way to connect people to jobs outside of Manhattan’s Central Business District – but our political leaders would have to listen to their constituents, and tune out transit-bashing TV and tabloid reporters to make it happen. DOT / MTA have learned how to work with communities to plan new routes – but they need to devote more staff time and bandwidth to accelerating the rollout.