Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Buses

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 | May 2, 2017 | 8 Comments

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.

Center-running bus lanes and islands for boarding are planned for 161st Street near the Bronx courthouse, where illegally parked drivers clog the street and block bus stops. Images: DOT

Summer Launch Planned for Bx6 Select Bus Service

By Brad Aaron | Apr 26, 2017 | 6 Comments

Some streetscape improvements are planned for the Bronx portion of the route. The biggest changes are proposed for 161st Street, where DOT would widen sidewalks and limit eastbound traffic in the tunnel under the Grand Concourse to buses.

This short bus lane segment on East 97th Street lets M96 bus bypass the bottleneck preceding the traffic light.

Queue Jumps for Buses — The Ethical Way to Cut in Line

By David Meyer | Apr 25, 2017 | 11 Comments

Cutting in line is pretty much unacceptable behavior, but there's one exception to the rule: A bus carrying dozens people should go to the front of the line at traffic lights. That, as TransitCenter explains in a new video, is a "queue jump" - and NYC needs more of them.

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Trump Budget Threats and the Local Anti-Transit Brigade Spike Lansing BRT

By Stephen Miller | Apr 21, 2017 | No Comments

Eight years in the making, the project was undone by suburban opposition. Now, transit advocates in Michigan's capital are figuring out what can be done to improve transit while their opponents take a victory lap.

Assembly Member N. Nick Perry's Brooklyn district has some of the worst bus service in the city, according to a new tool from the Bus Turnaround Coalition.

How to Hold Your Electeds' Feet to the Fire for Better Bus Service

By David Meyer | Apr 20, 2017 | 3 Comments

Today the Bus Turnaround Coalition released an interactive site with district-level reports cards for every State Senate, Assembly, City Council and community board district in the city. For each district you can see average bus speeds and the share of buses that bunch together and arrive at stops at the same time.

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Talking Headways Podcast: The Battery Powered Electric Bus

By Jeff Wood | Apr 20, 2017 | No Comments

This week's guest is Matt Horton of Proterra, a company that designs and manufactures battery powered electric buses. We cover the basics of electric buses, power consumption and recharging, the benefits and costs, as well as potential environmental effects.

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