Pandemic-era busways are speeding up bus service by as much as 39 percent.
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.”
FULL STORY: Eyes on the Street: How Are De Blasio’s Pandemic Era Busways Doing?
NYC Bus Service Hindered by Congestion
Sharing lanes with car traffic may make it impossible for the MTA to increase service frequency.
New York City’s Buses Are Speeding Up
New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is renewing efforts to create more bus lanes and dedicated busways in the city.
NYC Camera Program Captures 400,000 Bus Lane Violations
Bus speeds increased by as much as 25 percent on some routes after enforcement began last August.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service