A new report is shining a light on the frustration felt by commuters across the five boroughs.
It revealed that New York City has some of the slowest bus speeds in the country, and it may be due in part to other vehicles blocking bus lanes.
Trudy Mason, 80, says that is what frustrates her the most: A car, or a mail truck, or a delivery truck, blocking the bus lane. That turns what should be a quick bus ride into an endless one.
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“There have been situations where I get off and — bad legs and all — I walk. It’s faster than the bus takes," said Mason.
The new report from the state comptroller confirms that view. MTA bus speeds were found to be among the lowest in the nation — and rarely average above 9 mph. By comparison, the average human walks at about 3 mph (and maybe faster for New Yorkers), and the average man runs at 8 mph.
The report also showed that 43 percent of every bus ride is spent stopped at a red light or at a stop.
“A bus lane that has no enforcement is a parking lot," said Caitlin Pearce of the NYC Riders Alliance.
On Friday, the MTA released a video which aims to highlight a solution. In it, vehicles can be seen blocking a bus lane — as a camera suddenly snaps their license plate, giving them an instant ticket and minimum $50 fine. Under a new bill in Albany, the MTA would be able to ticket far more vehicles by camera than they’re allowed to today.
Officials for the transit agency believe that if lawmakers pass that bill, bus riders' satisfaction will improve.
"It's a little ridiculous that New York City has to go begging to Albany over and over again," said transit advocate Sarah Lind.
Outside a news conference, NYC Transit President Rich Davey personally walked up to an Uber to shoo him from the bus stop. He also noticed a UPS truck blocking the lane for nearly an hour.
"Right there, this entire press conference. What can Brown do for you? Get the hell outta my bus lane" Davey said.
The report also found that 41 percent of subway riders take the transit system less than they did pre-pandemic. A key reason for that was said to be safety, with a higher percentage of crimes found to be violent than in 2019. Still, the MTA says that crime is down and subway ridership is on the rebound.
