M42 and M50 win Pokey Awards as city's slowest bus routes M42, M50 city's slowest bus routes

[Harry]

 

The city's slowest buses are slugs that crawl across Manhattan at a glacial 3.4 mph, two advocacy groups said Thursday. The groups announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's M42 and M50 routes tied for last place in speed in an annual survey - and will share this year's Pokey Award. "These crosstown buses are losers," Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign said. Social worker Kenneth Hugee, an M42 rider, had another description: "It's hell." It's also barely faster than a walk across town - the average strolling speed is 3 mph. An elephant lumbers at about 4.5 mph, and would leave the M42 or M50 in its wake, officials said.

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[Cait Sith]

Oy, what else is new....

[Via Garibaldi 8]

The M50 is actually not bad on weekends.  It's during the week that it crawls and anytime during the holidays that it can be bad.  I don't know why 42nd street can't get a bus lane like 34th street or even SBS service??

[BreeddekalbL]

im suprised the M5 was not in contention from gw bridge to the ferry 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

im suprised the M5 was not in contention from gw bridge to the ferry 

The M5 usually moves outside of the rush and the day time hours during the week.  

[Q43LTD]

What else is new... I wonder what's the quickest crosstown not the M34.

[YankeesPwnMets]

M14A at third slowest, nothing new there. The 23, 57 and 14D are no surprise either.

 

As for the fastest Crosstown, maybe it is the M21. Too bad it shows up once every 30 minutes, and the nightmarish construction on Houston does not help The M22 is technically not a crosstown but its route is, so that could be another candidate. Overall though, I think all Crosstown buses can be pretty slow

 

As for the S79 being the fastest, that's not even a fair comparison. Bay Ridge/Staten Island vs Midtown Manhattan? It will never be close.

[Turbo19]

Alternate headline: Straphangers continue to stroke their own ego in an attempt to divert attention to their now defunct campaign.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

M14A at third slowest, nothing new there. The 23, 57 and 14D are no surprise either.

 

As for the fastest Crosstown, maybe it is the M21. Too bad it shows up once every 30 minutes, and the nightmarish construction on Houston does not help The M22 is technically not a crosstown but its route is, so that could be another candidate. Overall though, I think all Crosstown buses can be pretty slow

 

As for the S79 being the fastest, that's not even a fair comparison. Bay Ridge/Staten Island vs Midtown Manhattan? It will never be close.

Maybe the Q60 with the M21 is comparable...

[bobtehpanda]

M14A at third slowest, nothing new there. The 23, 57 and 14D are no surprise either.

 

As for the fastest Crosstown, maybe it is the M21. Too bad it shows up once every 30 minutes, and the nightmarish construction on Houston does not help The M22 is technically not a crosstown but its route is, so that could be another candidate. Overall though, I think all Crosstown buses can be pretty slow

 

As for the S79 being the fastest, that's not even a fair comparison. Bay Ridge/Staten Island vs Midtown Manhattan? It will never be close.

 

The M22 has been hit hard by the reconstruction of Chambers; is that done yet?

[YankeesPwnMets]

Nope. They claimed it would be done by this summer, but the 22 is still running down Warren St heading eastbound

[B35 via Church]

What else is new... I wonder what's the quickest crosstown not the M34.

That's what I say about these pokey/schleppie awards..... Who even cares/looks forward to seeing what route will "win" anymore anyway..... Too many people in this city have to worry about alternate means of commuting (whether that be from cuts or necessary construction), to worry about which manhattan route (lol) is the slowest or w/e......

 

Nope. They claimed it would be done by this summer, but the 22 is still running down Warren St heading eastbound

Jesus christ, what are they supposed to be doing over there around b/w broadway west (I call it) & BMCC (well, west st)? That construction along chambers has been ongoing for years now...... IIRC, They originally claimed it was goin be 18 mos.....

 

Then again, to be fair I guess, I don't know if that 18 month period was supposed to be the 1st stage, or the entire project..... 

What part of Chambers are they working on right now?

[YankeesPwnMets]

Chambers between West Street and Broadway will remain closed until 2014. Battery Park Bound M22s still run normal routes but FDR Drive bound M22s run via Warren and Broadway

[RTS CNG Command]

I've walked along 49th/50th and 42nd Streets a lot over the past few years. Too often, I walked from the UES/East Midtown to Midtown/Hell's Kitchen (and vice-versa) without seeing one bus pass me.

 

So unsurprising to see the M42 and M50 take the embarrassing prize.

[lupojohn]

What do you expect with heavy traffic along 42nd Street? As for the M50, I can't really judge that bus since I don't see it frequently.

[bobtehpanda]

That's what I say about these pokey/schleppie awards..... Who even cares/looks forward to seeing what route will "win" anymore anyway..... Too many people in this city have to worry about alternate means of commuting (whether that be from cuts or necessary construction), to worry about which manhattan route (lol) is the slowest or w/e......

 

Jesus christ, what are they supposed to be doing over there around b/w broadway west (I call it) & BMCC (well, west st)? That construction along chambers has been ongoing for years now...... IIRC, They originally claimed it was goin be 18 mos.....

 

Then again, to be fair I guess, I don't know if that 18 month period was supposed to be the 1st stage, or the entire project..... 

What part of Chambers are they working on right now?

 

I believe it's either water main, sewer main, and/or some other utility replacement and mapping. It was supposed to be 18 months, but we've had two very bad winters and a freak hurricane/snowstorm since then.

 

If the two past winters were as warm as the other ones (or just not as snowy), they'd probably be done by now.

[B35 via Church]

Chambers between West Street and Broadway will remain closed until 2014. Battery Park Bound M22s still run normal routes but FDR Drive bound M22s run via Warren and Broadway

I believe it's either water main, sewer main, and/or some other utility replacement and mapping. It was supposed to be 18 months, but we've had two very bad winters and a freak hurricane/snowstorm since then.

 

If the two past winters were as warm as the other ones (or just not as snowy), they'd probably be done by now.

To the both of you: Thanks.

 

To Bob (specifically): Don't know which bad winters you're talkin about, but that's just it - Said construction went past 18 mos. before sandy (Sandy was last year, this project started around 2010)..... This has to be a 2nd or 3rd phase of the project or somethin..... 

 

* ok, here, I found what I was lookin for.... I know I'm not goin nuts... lol... It was summer 2010

Looks like you were right also.... they're replacing the mains in that area..... and of course, planting trees & yuppie-fying spiffying up the west side there also.....

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/ddc_chambers_booklet.pdf

[bobtehpanda]

To the both of you: Thanks.

 

To Bob (specifically): Don't know which bad winters you're talkin about, but that's just it - Said construction went past 18 mos. before sandy (Sandy was last year, this project started around 2010)..... This has to be a 2nd or 3rd phase of the project or somethin..... 

 

* ok, here, I found what I was lookin for.... I know I'm not goin nuts... lol... It was summer 2010

Looks like you were right also.... they're replacing the mains in that area..... and of course, planting trees & yuppie-fying spiffying up the west side there also.....

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/ddc_chambers_booklet.pdf

 

TriBeCa is so yuppie that there's no going back at this point (and there certainly wasn't any going back around 2010).

 

The thing about my last two winters is that they were the only two winters that I remember Bloomberg actually called snow days for (and he really does not like calling them unless he has to; at one point, he called it as late as 5am the day of). Heck, I remember going to school and seeing all of the uncovered trench on Chambers being filled up to ground level with snow. With weather like that, you can't do any construction.

[B35 via Church]

If the two past winters were as warm as the other ones (or just not as snowy), they'd probably be done by now.

....Heck, I remember going to school and seeing all of the uncovered trench on Chambers being filled up to ground level with snow. With weather like that, you can't do any construction.

Lol.... Ok, I get the point already; I got it the first time you made it...

 

Hell, while performing the search that I did yesterday, the original timeframe they gave actually wasn't 18 months (that was actually the 2nd timeframe [or, first updated timeframe, however you wanna look at it]).... The original timeframe they gave for having the project done, was at year's end [2010]... Come to think of it, that sounds about right - That blizzard we had in 2010 (going by the original end timeframe of the construction), I remember ppl. saying that Chambers should've been back to normal already..... 

 

JMO, but those big projects like that, contractors tend to milk it anyway..... 

 

The thing about my last two winters is that they were the only two winters that I remember Bloomberg actually called snow days for (and he really does not like calling them unless he has to.....

Yeah, that's true about Bloomberg; he doesn't seem to be fond of having school kids miss time off school due to inclement weather.... Under Koch & Dinkins, I remember having quite a bit of days off due to snow.....

 

TriBeCa is so yuppie that there's no going back at this point (and there certainly wasn't any going back around 2010).

Preach.

 

Just walking along Greenwich b/w chambers & (north) moore now, There is definitely a stark difference with how "live"/vivrant that area is, compared to 2010....

 

When I worked over in the village (and didn't feel like doing the whole to the thing, coming home), sometimes I'd walk straight down Greenwich from Christopher to Chambers to catch the , so I know first-hand how that area has changed (for the better).... Before, the only real activity around there, were of the college kids.... Now, you have all those thriving restaurants (also, all the office bldg's in the area that business owners done snatched up & had renovated) & what not along that stretch (Greenwich, south of Canal) that's attracted the yup's & what not..... 

[AndrewJC]

Be careful with the Pokey Award. Only 34 bus routes were considered, and average speeds were based on one single round trip between June 5 and August 14 - a tiny sample size during a time of year when bus ridership patterns and traffic congestion are somewhat atypical.

 

http://www.straphangers.org/pokeyaward/13/Pokeys_2013_Methodology.pdf

 

BusTime is live in three boroughs. Why wouldn't they use the publicly available BusTime data feed to generate a much more robust and meaningful sample?

[B35 via Church]

Be careful with the Pokey Award. Only 34 bus routes were considered, and average speeds were based on one single round trip between June 5 and August 14 - a tiny sample size during a time of year when bus ridership patterns and traffic congestion are somewhat atypical. http://www.straphangers.org/pokeyaward/13/Pokeys_2013_Methodology.pdf BusTime is live in three boroughs. Why wouldn't they use the publicly available BusTime data feed to generate a much more robust and meaningful sample?

That's a problem I've always had with the "award"; it doesn't factor in every route in the system..... Thanks for pointing that out.

 

Straps just want to make the point that Manhattan's crosstowns are slow.... That's been their shtick with that "award" from day one.....

[QM1to6Ave]

That's a very good point. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if these rankings stayed fairly similar if you looked at Bus Time info. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Be careful with the Pokey Award. Only 34 bus routes were considered, and average speeds were based on one single round trip between June 5 and August 14 - a tiny sample size during a time of year when bus ridership patterns and traffic congestion are somewhat atypical. http://www.straphangers.org/pokeyaward/13/Pokeys_2013_Methodology.pdf BusTime is live in three boroughs. Why wouldn't they use the publicly available BusTime data feed to generate a much more robust and meaningful sample?

I actually think it's fairly accurate.  The M42 is pretty slow and I usually just walk rather than take it.  The M50 is equally slow, though more tolerable on the weekends, particularly if you're traveling on the East Side East of 5th Avenue.  I think most if not all of the crosstowns should get SBS service.  Just makes sense.... They bunch terribly and yes traffic is an issue, but boarding takes forever as well, so you're better off walking unless you're going long distances.  I can't remember the last time I took the M23. Usually just walk it.  Same thing with the M14 unless I see a pack of them coming and the traffic isn't too bad and the buses are lightly filled, meaning that it's worth getting on for say a trip from 6th Avenue to Union Square vs walking.

[B35 via Church]

I actually think it's fairly accurate.  The M42 is pretty slow and I usually just walk rather than take it.  The M50 is equally slow, though more tolerable on the weekends, particularly if you're traveling on the East Side East of 5th Avenue.  I think most if not all of the crosstowns should get SBS service.  Just makes sense.... They bunch terribly and yes traffic is an issue, but boarding takes forever as well, so you're better off walking unless you're going long distances.  I can't remember the last time I took the M23. Usually just walk it.  Same thing with the M14 unless I see a pack of them coming and the traffic isn't too bad and the buses are lightly filled, meaning that it's worth getting on for say a trip from 6th Avenue to Union Square vs walking.

Oh, no one's doubting Manhattan's crosstowns are slow, that isn't the problem w/ the "award"

 

Andrew has a point - It's misleading (and underhanded, if you ask me).... It's based from a biased sample.

The "award" is supposed to be representative of the "city's slowest bus routes" - That's implicating the other 4 boroughs as well.... 

AFAIK, the "pokey" has always went to a manhattan crosstown.... Let me put it in the form of a question - When didn't the "pokey" go to a manhattan crosstown? (rhetorical, and a tint of sarcasm, but anyone can go head & answer if they know it)....

 

But yeah, more to your point, I walk if I'm heading east-west within manhattan (south of central park, I mean) also..... Within the confines (and north of) central park (meaning, anything north of 59th), I have no reason to get from one side to the other, so it isn't an issue.... Anyway, gotten to the point where I got used to walking from Canal st to Canal st/Bowery....

[FamousNYLover]

M42 and M50 often gets stuck in TImes Square Traffic when they close 7th Av-Broadway.

Also, remember Times Square traffic is also caused by illegal operation of Horse Carriage buggys. (According to law, horse carriages are not allowed on 7th Avenue between 59th & 34th Sts between 7am-9pm.

I think I'll under why M50 joined M42 for slowpoke award.

49th Street has too many tour and movie buses roaming around, with rush hour traffic on 1st Av for 59th St Bridge, 2nd Av for Queens Midtown, 3rd Av for 59th St Bridge, Lex Av (always traffic), Madison Av (mostly Wed or Fri always traffic), 5th/6th Avs (Mostly Holiday Prohibit turns from 5th-6th Avenues for few blocks), Times Sq, 8th/10th Av mostly coming from Lincoln Tunnel, 9th/11th Avs going to Lincoln Tunnel, etc.