about new york

Why You’re Still Stuck on the Bus

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At the last second, I bought a ticket for the Bx12 bus on Fordham Road in the Bronx. About 30 people were waiting at the stop, near the gates of Fordham University, two miles from my destination across the Harlem River in Upper Manhattan.

The Bx12 is one of a dozen bus lines in New York City designated as “select,” a kind of premium service with dedicated lanes and buses equipped with signals that are supposed to make the traffic lights change to speed them along. Riders pay the fare at street kiosks that issue a printed ticket, then can board through any door without swiping a MetroCard. Inspectors turn up unannounced to check if everyone has paid.

These tactics to make buses faster are standard in big cities around the world. Not in New York.

For instance, all-door boarding is already being done in London, San Francisco and Singapore. On the buses operated by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, it is available to only about 12 percent of riders.

Far too often, the city’s bus service stinks.

Now, there’s a push to make it better. A determined coalition of riders has drawn up a report, “Turnaround: Fixing New York City’s Buses,” that spells out the problems and the possible solutions.