S48 named slowest bus on Staten Island for seventh straight time

[Lil 57]

Quote

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- For the seventh time in a row, the S48 has been named the slowest bus in the borough.

The annual Pokey awards for the slowest bus routes in New York City, given by the New York Public Interest Research Group's Straphangers Campaign and Transit Center, were announced on Tuesday, naming the S48 Staten Island's slowest bus.

Research showed that the S48, from St. George to Mariners Harbor, traveled at an average speed of just 7.3 miles per hour, down almost a full mile per hour from the reported 2015 speed of 8.2 miles per hour.

No awards were given during 2016 or 2017, making the 2015 awards the most recent point of reference.

However, the average speed of the S48 was still more than twice that of New York City's slowest bus, the M42, which traveled at an average speed of just 3.2 miles per hour.

SCHLEPPIE AWARD

In addition to the Pokey award for the city's slowest bus routes, the Schleppie award is bestowed upon the city's least reliable routes.

The Schleppie is awarded based on bunching, or when multiple buses arrive at the stop at the same time, meaning they're not operating on schedule.

The S78, from Bricktown Mall to St. George, was named the least reliable bus on Staten Island, with 10.6 percent of buses being bunched.

The B12 Local, from Brownsville to Prospect Lefferts Gardens in Brooklyn, was named the least reliable bus in New York City, with 21.4 percent of buses being bunched.

No wonder why ridership is declining. 

[aemoreira81]

The surprise is that it isn't the S46, although near its southern end, buses can reach their capped speed of 40 mph along South Avenue (which has a speed limit of 35 mph south of Forest Avenue - it was 40 mph before Vision Zero lowered the speed limit there and most of Richmond from 40 to 35).

[checkmatechamp13]

9 hours ago, aemoreira81 said:

The surprise is that it isn't the S46, although near its southern end, buses can reach their capped speed of 40 mph along South Avenue (which has a speed limit of 35 mph south of Forest Avenue - it was 40 mph before Vision Zero lowered the speed limit there and most of Richmond from 40 to 35).

Forest Avenue has more vehicular traffic, without a doubt, compared to Castleton.

[Xfer2Nowhere]

No surprise, I think it dropped about 1 MPH from the last time it was surveyed. The biggest choke point on the route from my experience is between Decker Avenue and Trantor Place heading westbound; there are poorly-timed lights there that cause about a 10-20 minute additional delay at worst, and on top of that, all the traffic weaving in and out of business driveways and people frequently boarding with shopping carts, it's no wonder it is where it is.