Worst bus routes in NYC? M42 the slowest, B12 most unreliable, advocates say

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Worst bus routes in NYC? M42 the slowest, B12 most unreliable, advocates say

"Riding a bus can feel like being in a funeral procession," says the NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign.

M42 bus on 42nd Street in Manhattan on Feb. 8. Photo Credit: Corey Sipkin

By Vincent Barone

vin.barone@amny.com

Updated July 24, 2018 12:21 PM

It’s the trophy the MTA never wants to receive: a golden snail on a pedestal to honor the slowest bus in the city.

Advocates from the NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign hosted its annual Pokey and Schleppie awards Tuesday, dishing trophies to the slowest and most unreliable buses in New York City. The golden snail commemorating the slowest route was awarded to the M42, which travels at an average pace of 3.2 mph across the congested heart of midtown — or just about the average human walking speed.

A chicken in full sprint is faster, the nonprofit group notes. It’s the fifth time in 15 awards ceremonies that the M42 took home the dubious distinction.

https://f1.media.brightcove.com/8/2014288409001/2014288409001_5729506463001_5729505199001.mp4?pubId=2014288409001&videoId=5729505199001

Man versus bus: amNY editor outraces the M42Colter Hettich, an amNewYork editor, tried to outwalk the M42 bus in Manhattan, on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018. (Credit: Corey Sipkin)

“Riding a bus can feel like being in a funeral procession, when you are awaiting a slow caravan of crowded, crawling and bunched buses,” said Gene Russianoff, of the Straphangers Campaign. “It’s maddening. Much more can be done to make them run faster.”

The Schleppie trophy for most unreliable service, what Strpanghangers described as a “pair of lumbering elephants,” was awarded to the B12 route running between Lefferts Gardens and Brownsville in Brooklyn. The group measures unreliability by tracking the percentage of buses that arrive at stops bunched together — one right behind the other.

The awards return among an increased focus from advocates — and the MTA itself — to improve bus service, which has experienced a significant drop in ridership beginning in 2014, as routes slowed in mounting congestion and as e-hail services like Uber and Lyft rose in popularity. Straphangers, and a coalition of other advocacy groups, have begun pushing more aggressively for measures like congestion pricing for Manhattan’s core, which they believe could reduce traffic and raise funds for transit improvements.

In the six months he’s been on the job, MTA Transit President Andy Byford has promised to turn around all elements of slumping subway and bus service. He’s put together a 10-year Fast Forward plan to modernize service that is respected among advocates but has not yet found the mayor or governor willing to put money toward it.

Byford is now attempting to tackle elements of the plan that don’t necessarily require new funding, pledging at a Transit Committee meeting Monday to “continue to deliver immediate, tangible improvements to our customers across all of our modes — bus, subway and Access-A-Ride — and across every aspect of our service.”

Here are the slowest bus routes per borough, according to the Straphangers Campaign:

• B63, 4.7mph between Fort Hamilton and Brooklyn Bridge Park;
• Bx19, 4.6mph between New York Botanical Garden and Riverbank State Park;
• M42, 3.2mph between Circle Line Pier and East Side, via 42nd Street;
• Q20A, 6.4mph between Jamaica and College Point;
• S48, 7.3mph between St. George and Mariners Harbor.

And here are the most unreliable routes per borough, according to the Straphangers Campaign:

B12 Local, 21.4 percent bunched between Brownsville and Prospect Lefferts Gardens;

Bx21, 17.9 percent bunched between Westchester Square and Mott Haven;

M4, 15.3 percent bunched between Washington Heights or Fort Tryon Park and Midtown;

Q43, 17.2 percent bunched between Floral Park and Jamaica;

S78, 10.6 percent bunched between Bricktown Mall and St. George Ferry Terminal.

By Vincent Barone

vin.barone@amny.com

Source: https://www.amny.com/transit/worst-bus-routes-nyc-1.20075714

 

[NewFlyer 230]

I’m surprised the M42 wasn’t converted to SBS like many of the other crosstown routes. Not that SBS can do much for that poor route, but you’d think that the one route that runs through the heart of Times Square would ideally be the route that the MTA would want converted to SBS. I took the M42 the other day to go from 3rd Ave to 8th Ave and that was the slowest ride ever. I’m a fast walker and could have outwalked all three buses. Those buses were bunched up all of them were crowded and besides traffic, elder people getting on and off slowed down the route too. The only reason I bothered taking that route was to check out those new electric New Flyer buses. Other than that never again will I take the M42 when I can just take the  or the  .

As far as the other statistics I’m not surprised that the B63 is Brooklyn’s slowest. I rode the B63 once last year and 5th Ave is plagued with traffic, lights at every block and people boarding at every stop. 

I’m am quite surprised that the Q20 is the slowest in Queens because besides the portion in Flushing where cars and trucks are parked up in the bus lane it’s a fast route almost as fast as the Q44. 

I don’t even think the Q43 is that unreliable, I think the Q6 takes that crown due to the fact that seeing three and four buses bunched on that route is not uncommon. That’s one of the reasons why the Q60 is still somewhat relevant south past Jamaica- Sutphin Blvd/Archer Ave. 

 

 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

35 minutes ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

I’m surprised the M42 wasn’t converted to SBS like many of the other crosstown routes. Not that SBS can do much for that poor route, but you’d think that the one route that runs through the heart of Times Square would ideally be the route that the MTA would want converted to SBS. I took the M42 the other day to go from 3rd Ave to 8th Ave and that was the slowest ride ever. I’m a fast walker and could have outwalked all three buses. Those buses were bunched up all of them were crowded and besides traffic, elder people getting on and off slowed down the route too. The only reason I bothered taking that route was to check out those new electric New Flyer buses. Other than that never again will I take the M42 when I can just take the  or the  .

As far as the other statistics I’m not surprised that the B63 is Brooklyn’s slowest. I rode the B63 once last year and 5th Ave is plagued with traffic, lights at every block and people boarding at every stop. 

I’m am quite surprised that the Q20 is the slowest in Queens because besides the portion in Flushing where cars and trucks are parked up in the bus lane it’s a fast route almost as fast as the Q44. 

I don’t even think the Q43 is that unreliable, I think the Q6 takes that crown due to the fact that seeing three and four buses bunched on that route is not uncommon. That’s one of the reasons why the Q60 is still somewhat relevant south past Jamaica- Sutphin Blvd/Archer Ave. 

 

 

The M42 is ok on weekends.  It sure as hell beats walking in the heat, so if I have bags and the BxM2 is a problem, I'll put on BusTime, and take it, otherwise I agree. The  or the  is a better bet.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

The Q43 might be the most unreliable in Queens, but for a good portion of it's route, it has other routes providing service to similar destinations. I would like to see which is the worst bus to wait for in Queens though (high headways and unreliable).

[R68OnBroadway]

Surprised the M4 was rated less reliable than the M101, but both routes need to split anyway (as well as the M2 and M3).

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Just now, R68OnBroadway said:

Surprised the M4 was rated less reliable than the M101, but both routes need to split anyway (as well as the M2 and M3).

I think it was last week. I was on a BxM1 or BxM2 late after 23:00 and there was THREE M101 buses running north of 116th street on 3rd Avenue.  Couldn't believe it. I'm thinking how does a bus bunch that late at night?

[R68OnBroadway]

6 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I think it was last week. I was on a BxM1 or BxM2 late after 23:00 and there was THREE M101 buses running north of 116th street on 3rd Avenue.  Couldn't believe it. I'm thinking how does a bus bunch that late at night?

I once checked the M101 BusTime list just to see how bad it was, and there were three NB buses between 183rd and 193rd while there was not a single NB bus between 99th and 183rd. There were also no NB buses between Cooper Union and 57th, and no SB buses between 49th and Cooper Union.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Just now, R68OnBroadway said:

I once checked the M101 BusTime list just to see how bad it was, and there were three NB buses between 183rd and 193rd while there was not a single NB bus between 99th and 183rd. There was also no NB buses between Cooper Union and 57th, and no SB buses between 49th and Cooper Union.

The bus actually moves now that there's a bus lane on 3rd so I think part of the problem is bad dispatching and horrendous B/Os out of that depot.

[R68OnBroadway]

7 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

The bus actually moves now that there's a bus lane on 3rd so I think part of the problem is bad dispatching and horrendous B/Os out of that depot.

Both the M101 and M102 need to be split at 96th with overlap to 106th... it would help kill the driver switch. As for the M103, increase service to allow for uptown short turns to 106th for drivers to get back to the depot quicker. For southbound runs, the bus ends at 125th so taking the  (or  later on) can be used.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 minute ago, R68OnBroadway said:

Both the M101 and M102 need to be split at 96th with overlap to 106th... it would help kill the driver switch. As for the M103, increase service to allow for uptown short turns to 106th for drivers to get back to the depot quicker. For southbound runs, the bus ends at 125th so taking the  (or  later on) can be used.

The issue is there are lots of disabled people from 106th street on that truly rely on the M101 to get to points west and the subway is useless for them.

[R68OnBroadway]

2 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

The issue is there are lots of disabled people from 106th street on that truly rely on the M101 to get to points west and the subway is useless for them.

If they need to get west (assuming you mean Washington Heights and Harlem), I would still have a route going there... the southern part from Cooper Union to 106th would be called the M101, while the northern part from Ft. George to 96th could be called the M125 or something like that.

[IAlam]

How is the Q20 the slowest, most of the buses I'm on do a good job keeping up with the Q44 and in many cases pass them as well.

[ABOGbrooklyn]

The B4 bus is one of the WORST in the city. Hands down!

Second I'll put the B24 in Greenpoint/LIC

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 hour ago, ABOGbrooklyn said:

The B4 bus is one of the WORST in the city. Hands down!

Second I'll put the B24 in Greenpoint/LIC

You can thank Jackie Gleason for the horrible management of the B4.

[Around the Horn]

20 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

You can think Jackie Gleason for the horrible management of the B4.

They play too many games with that route and its starting to spread to the 9 too

[Via Garibaldi 8]

27 minutes ago, Around the Horn said:

They play too many games with that route and its starting to spread to the 9 too

Starting to? Please. When I lived in Midwood, the B9 always came in twos down Avenue M and Avenue L.

[Around the Horn]

1 minute ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Starting to? Please. When I lived in Midwood, the B9 always came in twos down Avenue M and Avenue L.

I meant the games regarding last stops and layovers... Yeah the B9 has been bunching for years

[Via Garibaldi 8]

4 minutes ago, Around the Horn said:

I meant the games regarding last stops and layovers... Yeah the B9 has been bunching for years

The B4 actually was okay when Gleason took over earlier on because the route was horrible when Ulmer Park had it. In junior year high I'd freeze waiting for it 30+ minutes with that wind just off of the bay (right where Manhattan Beach starts and Sheepshead Bay ends by Emmons and Shore Blvd). lol In Bay Ridge coming from the X27, it isn't much better. They often times skip Narrows and 77th and start up by Bay Ridge Parkway.

[ABOGbrooklyn]

2 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

You can thank Jackie Gleason for the horrible management of the B4.

The problem is, is that the amount of buses that are available are sporadic, and the traffic on 75th street (Bay Ridge Pkwy) between Fort Ham & 5th Ave doesn't help either. I don't know why they have very few buses at certain times, even during rush hour. It's ridiculous.

[bobtehpanda]

The actual report.

Quote

Volunteers or staff would then conduct a one round trip observation. That is our surveyors would take a chosen route from its “start” to its “end” then back again. This resulted in just two selected one-way trips per route [– for trips scheduled closest to noon for the first trip. For the return trip, observers would the first departing bus on that route. These observations were usually made between June and towards the beginning of September of a given year.]

... Starting in 2018, average speed for each route is calculated using BusTime's measure of distance traveled per route (in miles) divided by travel time per route (in hours). The average speed calculation includes time spent at stops, also known as dwell time, and is an average speed for the entire route in both directions.

Well at least they stopped using a bullshit measuring stick.

[Cait Sith]

1 hour ago, bobtehpanda said:

The actual report.

Well at least they stopped using a bullshit measuring stick.

The statistics for the MPH for the Manhattan local routes looks bogus as f**k.....

11 hours ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

I’m surprised the M42 wasn’t converted to SBS like many of the other crosstown routes. Not that SBS can do much for that poor route, but you’d think that the one route that runs through the heart of Times Square would ideally be the route that the MTA would want converted to SBS. I took the M42 the other day to go from 3rd Ave to 8th Ave and that was the slowest ride ever. I’m a fast walker and could have outwalked all three buses. Those buses were bunched up all of them were crowded and besides traffic, elder people getting on and off slowed down the route too. The only reason I bothered taking that route was to check out those new electric New Flyer buses. Other than that never again will I take the M42 when I can just take the  or the  .

As far as the other statistics I’m not surprised that the B63 is Brooklyn’s slowest. I rode the B63 once last year and 5th Ave is plagued with traffic, lights at every block and people boarding at every stop. 

I’m am quite surprised that the Q20 is the slowest in Queens because besides the portion in Flushing where cars and trucks are parked up in the bus lane it’s a fast route almost as fast as the Q44. 

I don’t even think the Q43 is that unreliable, I think the Q6 takes that crown due to the fact that seeing three and four buses bunched on that route is not uncommon. That’s one of the reasons why the Q60 is still somewhat relevant south past Jamaica- Sutphin Blvd/Archer Ave. 

 

 

Realistically, putting SBS on the M42 won't help it at all when you consider the amount of bottlenecks that exist on 42nd Street. Bus lanes wouldn't necessarily work either.

4 hours ago, IAlam said:

How is the Q20 the slowest, most of the buses I'm on do a good job keeping up with the Q44 and in many cases pass them as well.

That's what I want to know too.....every single time I ride the Q20, it does a pretty decent job catching up to the Q44 to/from Flushing.

[Future ENY OP]

9 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

You can thank Jackie Gleason for the horrible management of the B4.

It was no better at Ulmer Park. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

16 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

It was no better at Ulmer Park. 

I said that further up. Believe me I used the B4 during my junior high and high school years. I know all about it. It was my main line outside of the B36 and B49 growing up in the Manhattan Beach/Sheepshead Bay area. Back then the best route in the area was the B49. How times have changed...

[Future ENY OP]

10 hours ago, ABOGbrooklyn said:

The B4 bus is one of the WORST in the city. Hands down!

Second I'll put the B24 in Greenpoint/LIC

Look where the B24’s current depot based at and you will see why? 

[Future ENY OP]

6 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I said that further up. Believe me I used the B4 during my junior high and high school years. I know all about it. It was my main line outside of the B36 and B49 growing up in the Manhattan Beach/Sheepshead Bay area. Back then the best route in the area was the B49. How times have changed...

To me honestly it would of been better to run out of FB for a few reasons. The sheepshead bay end to FB is only 15 mins from the depot also easy inter line with the 44. The way the schedule is set up it is made for Bay Ridge and not to deal with the Sheepshead end. 

I totally believe you @Via Garibaldi 8