Eyes on the Street: Red Paint for “Queue-Jump” Bus Lanes on the M86

A new bus lane next to the right-turn lane keeps buses from getting stuck at the back of the line as they exit the 86th Street Transverse at Fifth Avenue. Photo: Stephen Miller
A “queue-jump” bus lane next to the right-turn lane keeps buses from getting stuck at the back of the line as they exit the 86th Street Transverse at Fifth Avenue. Photo: Stephen Miller

Select Bus Service on 86th Street in Manhattan won’t be getting full bus-only lanes, but riders will benefit from short bus lanes at busy intersections. DOT has added two “queue-jump” lanes where 86th Street and 84th Street meet Fifth Avenue, to keep buses from getting stuck behind traffic waiting at lights.

The most important component of the M86 SBS upgrade is off-board fare collection. The sidewalk fare machines have been installed, but are not yet turned on for passengers.

When the upgraded service launches, the SBS vehicles will also receive flashing blue destination signs so riders can easily distinguish them from local buses. The new signs have begun rolling out on the M15 SBS on First and Second avenues.

A queue-jump bus lane at 86th Street and Fifth Avenue. The off-board fare payment machines have been installed, but won't be turned on until later this month. Photo: Stephen Miller
A queue-jump bus lane at 86th Street and Fifth Avenue. The off-board fare payment machines have been installed, but won’t be turned on until later this month. Photo: Stephen Miller

The MTA originally promised to begin M86 SBS service this spring, then settled on a June 28 launch date. That date has now been pushed back to sometime this month.

The delay is caused by ongoing construction on the East Side that prevented installation of ticket machines on the sidewalk, said MTA spokesperson Kevin Ortiz. The MTA will announce a launch date for Select Bus Service soon, he said.

Streetsblog will not be publishing tomorrow in observance of Independence Day. Enjoy the long weekend and we’ll see you on Monday.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

There are three queue jumps on the M86 route, including this one at Fifth Avenue and 84th Street. Photo: DOT

The M86 Moves Faster and More People Are Riding Thanks to Queue Jumps

By David Meyer |
While bus ridership is down citywide -- and especially in Manhattan -- there are some routes that are bucking the trend. One that's gaining riders is the M86, which got a package of upgrades from DOT and the MTA in 2015. The improvements included off-board fare collection and queue jumps -- short bus lane segments that enable buses to cut ahead of other traffic at signals.

Eyes on the Street: West 125th Street Gets Its Bus Lanes

By Stephen Miller |
It’s finally happening. More than a year after bus lanes were installed on 125th Street east of Lenox Avenue, the first signs have appeared that DOT will soon be painting red bus-only lanes in West Harlem. The first round of camera-enforced bus lanes, from Lenox to Second Avenue, have helped speed local buses on 125th Street between 7 and […]

Eyes on the Street: Painting SBS Bus Lanes on Nostrand Avenue

By Stephen Miller |
Brooklyn’s B44 bus carried more than 12.5 million passengers last year between the base of the Williamsburg Bridge and Sheepshead Bay, making it the city’s fifth-busiest bus route. But the B44, which runs primarily along Nostrand Avenue, is notoriously unreliable and spends less than half of each run in motion. Half the time, it’s stuck in traffic or at bus […]