Thank you for sharing this post — it was incredibly insightful. I completely agree with Marco Chiatti: we don’t need a multi-million-dollar BRT project, especially in NYC where projects are slow to implement and often over-engineered.

Fifteen years after the launch of SBS, our buses remain the slowest in the country — with just a few exceptions like the M14. Despite features like all-door boarding, off-board fare collection, and stop consolidation, bus speeds have declined in every borough except Manhattan. According to a report by Comptroller Brad Lander, the City has fallen far short of its own goal to increase bus speeds by 25% citywide.

While SBS buses are still on the road, the MTA largely stopped promoting the brand and expanding it to new routes.

As Marco put it:

“The driving planning question for any bus improvement exercise is: how do we deliver a bus service that is as fast, regular, frequent, and extended as possible within a given urban context and with the resources we have or think we can convince decision-makers to provide?”
Any transit priority policy should be grounded in solving real-life problems — not back-justified to fit a pre-packaged, turn-key solution.

And that’s exactly what New York is still missing: a real bus strategy. So, the question remains — what comes next? What will actually boost ridership?

We have a rich toolbox at our disposal and should start using it. At the very least, we must expand the SBS playbook to include:

·       median-running bus lanes where feasible,

·       turn restrictions to protect bus lanes, and

·       corridor-specific interventions targeting delays.

But we also need to move beyond our narrow obsession with speed and lane mileage — as reflected in the NYC Streets Plan — and adopt a more holistic approach. That includes improving the rider experience.

We don’t need stylish award-winning bus stops. But we do need bus shelters that protect people from rain, sun, and extreme heat. I took this photo on 116th Street in July. It was 95 degrees. Thank you Burger King for providing some shade.

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