Select Bus Service
Streetsblog Basics
New CM Mark Levine Will Push NYC DOT for Full 125th Street SBS Route
The deal that brought 125th Street Select Bus Service back to life last fall didn't revive the full, cross-town enhanced bus route that was originally on the table. With the current plan calling for bus lanes east of Lenox Avenue only, bus riders who travel to or from West Harlem would still get the short end of the stick. Freshman Council Member Mark Levine wants to change that.
January 8, 2014
How to Measure the Economic Effect of Livable Streets
When a street redesign to prioritize walking, biking, or transit is introduced, the headlines are predictable: A handful of business owners scream bloody murder. Anecdotes from grumpy merchants tend to dominate the news coverage, but what's the real economic impact of projects like Select Bus Service, pedestrian plazas, road diets and protected bike lanes? How can it be measured?
December 20, 2013
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
Select Bus Service Comes to Brooklyn
Yesterday was the first day of service for Brooklyn's first Select Bus Service route, upgrading the B44 Limited with a dedicated bus lane, off-board fare collection, bus bulbs, and fewer stops. It's the sixth SBS route to enter service, following two in the Bronx, two in Manhattan, and one in Staten Island.
November 18, 2013
The Abbreviated Plan for 125th Street Select Bus Service Is Back
State Senator Bill Perkins let it slip during a hearing yesterday, and today the MTA and DOT made it official [PDF]: Select Bus Service is back on track for M60 buses running along 125th Street, scheduled to launch in April 2014.
October 11, 2013
MTA: SBS on Nostrand and Rogers Avenues Starts November 17
We've been watching the progress as bus bulbs are installed and dedicated lanes are painted, and now the MTA has announced a start date for Select Bus Service on Nostrand and Rogers Avenues: November 17.
October 10, 2013
Eyes on the Street: Painting SBS Bus Lanes on Nostrand Avenue
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 stops and red lights.
September 26, 2013
MTA Planning Chief: NYC’s Next Mayor Needs to Stick Up for Bus Lanes
After a presentation on regional transit ridership trends at NYU's Rudin Center this morning, William Wheeler, the MTA's planning director, said the city's next mayor needs to firmly support the reallocation of street space for dedicated bus lanes, and should not back down in the face of opposition to changes that take away real estate from cars.
September 12, 2013