A team of international bus experts has proposed a new method for determining optimal locations for high-speed bus rapid transit (BRT) in New York City.
Annie Weinstock and Walter Hook, based in New York, have identified criteria that extend beyond just bus speeds for prioritizing BRT corridors.
Their approach marks a departure from the traditional methods of guesswork or prioritizing routes based on community opposition or support.
Key factors outlined in their analysis include:
– Overall ridership figures for a corridor.
– Connections to existing high-ridership bus lines.
– Adequate road width to accommodate full BRT and alternative routes for potential traffic rerouting.
– Assistance for low-income populations.
– Complementing existing subway services with rapid transit options.
– Time savings associated with implementing BRT.
– Consideration of existing bus routes, with a preference for Select Bus Service, limited routes, and rush routes in Queens.
By evaluating these elements, city planners could make informed decisions rather than relying on anecdotal evidence or vocal neighborhood sentiments.
Hook emphasized the importance of using technical data to guide discussions with communities and elected officials.
This objective approach aims to demonstrate where BRT would provide the most significant benefits, even if some neighborhoods express resistance.
The analysis also seeks to protect planning processes from potential political influences, as Hook explained.
The increased visibility of data could prevent favoritism or corrupt practices from influencing the decision-making process.
For example, a project might receive undue prioritization because of a politician’s connections to a particular real estate development, leading to questions about fairness and transparency.
In their findings, Weinstock and Hook identified 125th Street in Harlem as the most promising candidate for BRT benefits.
With the Second Avenue subway’s Phase Two opening anticipated in 2032, there is an urgent need to enhance the current crosstown bus service along 125th Street.
Upgrading this route with physically protected bus lanes and dedicated boarding stations could offer subway-like service at a fraction of the time and cost.
Weinstock pointed out, “That subway isn’t going to be built for many, many, many years.
And in all of the years we’re waiting for that subway to be built, people will be stuck on the bus in traffic.
So if we could build a BRT now, if it lasts for the 20 or 30 years that it takes to build that subway, that would be great.
It might also be that it’s serving that population so well that we’ll find that a subway isn’t needed there, but in any case, the need is there now.”
Hook added that implementing bus rapid transit on 125th Street would aid not just local riders but also those using the M60 route to LaGuardia Airport.
This improvement could accelerate other neighborhood bus services that currently face delays in this congested corridor.
Overall, Weinstock and Hook pinpointed 19 potential corridors across the city for effective BRT implementation, surpassing the capabilities of most American cities.
Establishing even one BRT route could yield substantial advantages for tens of thousands of bus riders, significantly changing the landscape of New York City bus services.
While the potential for BRT implementation exists, it remains a question whether the city and the MTA will actively pursue such international-style initiatives.
Since Andrew Cuomo’s administration limited the expansion of Select Bus Service (SBS) back in 2018, the MTA has avoided launching aggressive interventions for bus service enhancement.
Creating BRT would also necessitate increased cooperation between the MTA and the city, a relationship that has become increasingly strained as the Adams administration has canceled several bus projects.
MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber expressed his support for initiatives aimed at speeding up bus services.
He stated to Streetsblog, “I’m for faster buses.
And I think that we should definitely deploy the tools that we have and that were promised to us and that are in the law, like more bus lanes.
We’re always going to look at solutions that are more ambitious; obviously [this is] not funded in the capital plan.
But we’re going to look at the range of solutions that are available to have faster bus service.
But we always start with the strategies that are actually law and policy right now, and we want to implement those and have our partners in the city help us do that.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Transportation (DOT) acknowledged the analysis and claimed that the city had been working to increase bus speeds, even though average speeds have stagnated at around eight miles per hour for the past seven years.
The call for a systematic approach to BRT planning brings hope for more efficient public transportation in New York City, but its success depends on sustained advocacy and collaboration between various agencies and stakeholders.
image source from：nyc
