Summary

New York City has the slowest bus service in America. NYC Transit buses travel at an average speed of 7.5 mph. On bus routes such as the M96, M23, M15, Q32, BX35 and B63, the average speed is 6 mph or less. That buses are traveling in slow motion is obvious to everyone, especially riders, who rank it the most serious problem with bus service. Slow bus service discourages people from taking buses, especially for work trips where travel time is critical. Slow bus service contributes to very long travel times to work in New York City, as shown by the latest census. Bus service is slow for many reasons. Traffic congestion is clearly a major factor. But other problems are just as important: • Buses spend as much as 30 % of their time waiting for passengers to board and exit. • Increased crowding on buses due to ridership growth has lengthened delays from boarding and exiting. • Traffic signals are not synchronized with bus speeds, so buses are delayed by red lights between bus stops. • Drivers often have to slow down to stay on schedule even when traffic is light. • Bus field supervisors lack the tools to prevent bus bunching