Changes to Local Service in the Bronx Benefit Bus Speeds, Ridership

Another example of how improving bus service design can benefit transit riders and transit systems emerges in New York City. More such local system redesigns are on the way soon in the Big Apple.

1 minute read

March 3, 2023, 6:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A New York MTA drives down the straight under elevated train tracks in the Bronx in New York City

quiggyt4 / Shutterstock

The MTA launched redesigned local bus service in the Bronx June 2022. Since then, buses are going faster with more riders on board, according to data shared recently by the New York MTA.

Dave Colon provides more detail on the changes and their results in an article for Streetsblog NYC.

Local buses ran 4 percent faster in the months after the redesign went into effect on the 13 routes the agency re-mapped, while overall speeds also increased borough-wide — by 2 percent on weekdays and 3 percent on weekends, according to the presentation.

Ridership, meanwhile, increased 6 percent after the redesign went into effect, Thompson said. The routes that received the most changes saw the biggest increases.

To revamp the system, according to Colon’s account of the changes,  “the MTA made major changes to 13 of 46 routes, while also tweaking almost every line in the borough by streamlining routes and adding more space between stops, a process known as bus stop balancing.”

The Bronx changes are the first of a series of local bus service changes in the works by the MTA since 2019, adds Colon. Queens will be next, followed by Brooklyn.

Bu system redesigns have become popular since the city of Houston led the way with a redesign of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) bus system in 2015.

Wednesday, February 22, 2023 in StreetsBlog NYC

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

Downtown Los Angeles skyline viewed from a distance with freeway and trees in foreground.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods

A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

2 hours ago - USC Dornsife

Aerial view of Claifornia aqueduct with green orchard on one side.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy

California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

3 hours ago - Turlock Journal

Close-up of older woman's hands resting on white modern heating radiator mounted on wall indoors.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program

The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.

4 hours ago - The New York Times