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Select Bus Service
Select Bus Service is a bus rapid transit service in New York City that features bus-only lanes
and prepaid ticketing. Introduced in June 2008 to accommodate record high ridership, the system will increase bus speed and reliability with [1] :
• prepaid fares
• dedicated bus lanes
• higher capacity, articulated buses
• fewer stops
• Traffic Signal Priority - computerized traffic lights that usher buses through intersections
• high visibility stations and buses
Automated ticketing machines located at bus stops are expected to reduce boarding times by eliminating “the lines that often form at the front door of a bus while passengers wait to swipe or pay. That wait is a primary factor in slow travel times for buses”[2]. Curbside machines will accept both Metrocards and cash fares (and, eventually, credit cards).
The debut line runs between the Bronx and north Manhattan along Fordham and 207th Street. In September 2008, Select Bus Lanes were installed on 34th Street in Manhattan[3].
Additional routes are scheduled to open in 2008-2009: Fifth & Madison Avenues, and First & Second Avenues.
New Yorkers will notice the new bright blue vehicles and stations along Select Bus Service routes.
ALSO ON THE LIVABLE STREETS NETWORK
- Streetsblog: Bus Riders Warm to Select Bus Service
- Streetsblog: NYC’s First Bus Rapid Transit Line Debuts in the Bronx
- Streetsblog: Are American Cities Building Top-Notch BRT or "Light Rail Lite"?
REFERENCES
[1] NYC SBS Project. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. State of New York.
[2] Riders Will Pay Before Boarding, and Save Time, on Revampted Bus Route. The New York Times. June 29, 2008.
[3] DOT, MTA Launch 34th Street SBS Service Today. Streetsblog. September 15, 2008.
[4]
PICTURE REFERENCES
[1] Brad Aaron, Streetsblog.
[2] Brad Aaron, Streetsblog.
