Where NYC Busways Are Succeeding

An article by Streetsblog NYC staff assesses the success of four New York City busways created during the de Blasio administration and made permanent under Mayor Eric Adams.

According to the article, “Bus speeds have improved along all four routes, though the magnitude of the improvement varies by time and location. The biggest overall increases were on 181st Street, where buses now run 30 percent faster during all peak periods eastbound and 39 percent faster westbound.”

The article details how each busway has impacted bus speeds, with some faring better than others. “The top performer among the 2021 busways is on Manhattan's West 181st Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue,” where rush hour bus speeds increased by 30 percent on eastbound buses and 39 percent on westbound buses. Meanwhile, buses on Jamaica Avenue in Queens are only moving 8 percent faster at evening rush hour.

The busways are enforced by cameras, some fixed and some mounted on buses. “Asked about the number of violations issued by fixed-location cameras, the city Department of Transportation provided a total number of violations issued on all four busways for the month of September — 13,217. The agency did not provide a breakdown by route, making it impossible for Streetsblog the gauge their effectiveness.”