Transit Signal Priority Lacking for New Fleet of NYC Buses

Seventy-five new buses hit the streets of Queens in May, but none of them have transit signal priority technology, proven to improve travel times, on board.

1 minute read

August 6, 2016, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell

Vincent Barone reports: "None of the 75 blue and yellow buses that rolled out in Queens this May -- part of a fleet of 2,042 coming to city streets over the next six years -- are equipped with technology known as Traffic Signal Prioritization, or TSP."

TSP software uses GPS give buses more green lights and fewer reds. "As buses approach intersections, the city’s traffic control center can hold green lights or speed up a red light cycle to prevent idling," according to Barone.

According to the New York City Department of Transportation, TPS is already installed on several routes around the city, resulting in travel time improvements between ten and 15 percent. Barone notes that the priority on WiFi, rather than the service performance improvements enabled by TSP, does not reflect the desires of bus users, as reported in a survey by TransitCenter released in July.

FULL STORY: New MTA buses have Wi-Fi, but lack technology to speed travel time

Thursday, August 4, 2016 in AM New York

Technology Transportation New York New York City New York Department of Transportation Transit Service Bus Transit Transit Signal Priority TSP View More

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