Three days after the debut of Bx12 Select Bus Service, Bronx resident and Tri-State Transportation Campaign Associate Director Veronica Vanterpool rode the route from Co-op City to Inwood. On Mobilizing the Region, she reports that riders are becoming accustomed to the pre-payment system and rear-door boarding, with the help of bus drivers and New York City Transit personnel.

Vanterpool’s trip was unobstructed — for the most part.

Fordham Road, a dense shopping district, is one of the most congested
areas along the route and it was refreshing to see cars backed up in
Fordham Plaza while the bus cruised by in the empty bus lane. However,
a few blocks ahead, our smooth sailing was interrupted by a NYCT van
and two delivery vans.

Vanterpool says police are continuing to monitor the lanes, and that nearly 100 tickets were handed out on Monday, the first weekday of SBS service. Her ride was 48 minutes, compared to the pre-SBS average of 65. Vanterpool predicts that time savings will increase as passengers get used to the system’s features, as long as "vigilant enforcement" of bus lanes continues.

Photo: Mobilizing the Region