New York's Worst Bus Routes Named for 'Pokey' and 'Schleppie' Awards

There are solutions to slow, unreliable bus service. These local buses don't have any of those solutions going for them.

1 minute read

July 26, 2018, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


M42 Bus

The slowest-moving bus in New York. | Google Streetview

Will Bredderman spreads the ignominy for a chosen few bus routes in New York City.

Transit advocacy groups Straphangers Campaign and TransitCenter released a report detailing the slowest buses in the city. The slowest bus in the entire city is awarded the "Pokey." The winner of the 2018 Pokey is M42, which the report finds averaging a speed of 3.2 miles per hour. For comparison, a press release announcing the award [pdf] notes that a chicken can run 9 miles per hour.  

The report also announces the "Schleppie," awarded to the bus route observed bunching (defined here as two or more buses arrive at a stop at the same time) as a proxy for being unreliable. The 2018 Schleppie Award goes to the B12, observed with a 21.4 percent bunching rate.

Bredderman also notes the measures transit advocates would implement to improve both slow speeds and unreliability.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018 in Crain's New York Business

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