New York Magazine had a lengthy article this past summer on the Bus-turned-Subway model of maximizing above ground transportation:
LINK. Basically, all the best practices that subways use will be implemented on an express type bus that will have its own exclusive traffic lane and have passengers pay on the street before entering the bus (high-tech cameras will catch vehicles using the bus lanes illegally). Additional features to expedite the trip will also include buses designed lower to the ground so that passengers can dually enter at the back entrance. What about all those traffic lights? The proposed bus system would use new technology that will enable bus drivers to know when a light will turn red and be able to keep it green for an extended amount of time.
Several other major cities in the world have already implemented these systems but will New York ever catch up? Today's Daily News reports on the new M15 express bus down East Harlem (at 125th) to the South Street Ferry that will be 20% quicker using all the above innovations:
LINK. Illustration courtesy Joe Zeff Design
This is like a street car but instead of physical tracks it has virtual tracks enabled with technology to clear a path through the cities many obstructions most notably red lights and other vehicles using the bus lane. Now the MTA needs figure out a technology to force passengers to exit through the rear door as this is one of the biggest time wasters, maybe some kind of MTA cattle prod.
ReplyDeletesorry charlie, the bronx did it first with the bx 12......
ReplyDeletebut oh how much money could have been saved if they had implemented this thoroughly instead of a second avenue folly.
I took the M15 select yesterday afternoon and it worked pretty well (just before rush hour on a quasi-holiday). I like the idea of above-ground subways (i.e. buses making express stops); when I have time I prefer buses over subways. But it will require a lot of rider training.
ReplyDeleteOooh. Westsider. We're bonding! I thought I was alone in yearning for implementation of the cattle prod.
ReplyDeleteSanou's Mum, I don’t think we are alone in the desire for an MTA cattle prod.
ReplyDeleteTo ticket or not to ticket, that is the question all riders must face when boarding the M15 bus. The problem with this system for riders is this, for a limited M15 bus, you have to purchase a curbside ticket, no metro cards allowed, however for a local M15 bus, metro cards only and no curbside ticket. So, like most riders, I want to ride the first bus that shows up, local or limited, so I have to wait by the curbside ticket dispenser ready to make my move. When I see a bus approaching, squinting into the distance to see if it is limited or local and then for a limited, quickly buying a ticket or for an aproaching local bus, boarding without a ticket. Multiply this by 20 NYers trying his last minute ticket or no ticket maneuver and soon someone will be shot.
ReplyDeleteI don't think all riders take the first bus that comes along. I often have to take the M15 up first from 23rd or from Bellevue and there is no way I'm taking a local.
ReplyDeleteInterested to see how they handle wheelchair riders. Good news is that model bus has three wheelchair bays rather than the usual two.
Hang on. Curb side tickets? So, this isn't covered by the unlimited metro card? What happens when the curb site ticket booth is jammed by our effervescent neighborhood booth busters?
ReplyDeleteWhy oh why can't the city install high quality cameras to actually enforce bus lane restrictions (a la London...where as a driver I had a deep hatred for them as they were so damn effective)?
Looks like they still have the same old problem of waiting for a bus and two arrive at once.
http://www.dnainfo.com/20101012/manhattan/60m-faster-m15-bus-not-fast-enough-for-some-rush-commuters
Sanou’s Mum, agreed, some riders will wait for a limited, but for me taking a long trip downtown, the bus is not an option, I take the subway. Buses are better for short trips or cross-town, and I don’t care if it is limited or local, just the first to arrive, I think that is the case with most bus riders. These indiscriminate short distance riders then have to make a last minute curbside ticket buying maneuver to board an approaching limited bus. I think this will create a flurry of ticket buying chaos when a limited bus approches.
ReplyDeleteAnother concern is all these new toys the MTA is providing at a time of fare hikes and service cuts, electronic train time announcers, ticketed buses, debit card payment etc. I think a feature most riders would prefer is reliable service at a good price, without all the toys. I fear these toys simply create employment for MTA engineers.
ReplyDelete@Westsider—
ReplyDeleteOnly a fool would take a bus for long trip rather than the subway unless, like me, they may be pushing a wheelchair or have some other manner of mobility problem that prevents one from taking the stairs.
Agree with you 100% about train time announcers and the electronic signs. Doesn’t make the train come any faster. But I’m all for something that makes getting on and off the bus faster. There is a special place in hell for people who wait and wait for the bus and only when they are halfway up the steps do they begin to look for their Metrocard!