Bus Rapid Transit
Streetsblog Basics
Every Bus Should Get Priority at NYC Traffic Signals
New York City buses serve more than two million trips on an average weekday -- more than twice the ridership as Los Angeles, which has the nation’s second-largest bus system.
June 19, 2014
Select Bus Service Launches on 125th Street
On Sunday, Select Bus Service launched on a route that stretches from 125th Street in Harlem to LaGuardia Airport. Public officials marked the occasion -- the first SBS route to debut during the de Blasio era -- at a Harlem press conference today. With off-board fare collection and dedicated bus lanes (on part of the route), the upgrades will speed cross-town trips for 33,000 bus riders daily, on both the M60 SBS route and local routes that will benefit from the bus lanes only.
May 27, 2014
Imagining a New Atlantic Avenue for de Blasio’s New York
Atlantic Avenue is one of New York’s most prominent streets, and in most respects, it is completely broken.
May 1, 2014
You Can Now Bring Street Transformations to Life With Google Street View
If you ever want to show someone that it's possible to change streets and cities for the better, Google Street View can now help you do it.
April 25, 2014
Trottenberg: The Goal Is to Roll Out 13 New SBS Routes in Four Years
It's been a big week for buses. Public meetings kicked off for Select Bus Service on Woodhaven Boulevard, signs of SBS are starting to crop up on 125th Street, and news broke that bus lanes are coming to Utica Avenue. After Wednesday's infrastructure forum, I caught up with Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg to discuss the de Blasio administration's commitment to speed up bus service citywide.
April 25, 2014
State Interference in Nashville BRT Could Have National Implications
Annie Weinstock is the regional director for the U.S. and Africa at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.
April 23, 2014
Long Arm of the Koch Brothers Extends to Nashville to Slap Down Transit
On Tuesday, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean announced that he might do away with dedicated transit lanes on two stretches of the Amp, the proposed seven-mile bus rapid transit line that could set an important precedent for the car-centric city. Dean is the main political backer of the project, so the fact that he's buckling says something about the mounting pressure to water down or kill the Amp. And that pressure isn't going to let up any time soon, because Dean and other supporters of effective transit in Nashville are up against opponents with very deep pockets.
April 3, 2014
Pratt Center Suggests Eight Routes for Robust BRT — Is de Blasio Listening?
In 2008, a coalition led by the Pratt Center for Community Development laid out a vision for 12 Bus Rapid Transit lines across the city. Nearly six years later, NYC DOT and the MTA have installed six Select Bus Service routes in four boroughs, with plans for more. At a panel discussion this morning, the Pratt Center unveiled a new report [PDF] showing eight routes that are ripe for Bus Rapid Transit, featuring upgrades like separated busways and stations with fare gates and platform-level boarding.
December 17, 2013
How One Merchant Group Went From Bus Lane Opponent to SBS Supporter
When B44 Select Bus Service launched last month, regular Streetsblog readers may have recognized Lindiwe Kamau's along with the elected officials celebrating Brooklyn's first SBS route. Kamau, who is president of the Nostrand Avenue Merchants Association, spoke with Mayor Bloomberg at the grand opening and had her photo snapped by the press. Under sunny skies, it was all smiles as passengers boarded the new buses.
December 12, 2013
With Debut of B44 SBS, Major Brooklyn Bus Route Poised to Draw More Riders
After years of planning, B44 Select Bus Service launched yesterday on the Nostrand Avenue corridor. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, and MTA Chairman and CEO Tom Prendergast marked the occasion this afternoon at a newly-expanded bus stop at Church and Nostrand.
November 18, 2013