‘Painfully slow.’ NYC Independent Budget Office says MTA buses are among the slowest in the country
The Bx2 bus speed comes in at 5.53 mph - that’s much slower than the city average speed, which is just over 8 mph.
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A new report is confirming MTA buses are slow – in fact, some of the slowest in the country, according to the New York City Independent Budget Office.
Over one million riders travel on MTA buses weekly.
Yet, our bus system ranks one of the slowest in the country.
“I believe it 100%, compared to where it was 50 years ago. It's horrible,” said Bruce.
The Bx2 bus speed comes in at 5.53 mph - that’s much slower than the city average speed, which is just over 8 mph.
Riders say they are feeling the effects.
“Speed it up,” said Carlos.
Congested streets, not enough bus lanes and inconsistent enforcement of bus lane rules is the reason for this, according to the NYC Independent Budget Office.
“People are parking in them,” said Carlos.
“With the way the roads are and the way traffic is, I’m really not surprised,” said Maxienne.
By law, the DOT is required to have 150 miles of protected bus lanes by 2026.
“Bus lanes in the city are supposed to speed up the bus time,” said Carlos.
According to the report, they are not on track to meet the mandate with less than 10 miles created since 2022.
The MTA responded to the report saying:
“The MTA remains committed to providing efficient and reliable service across the city by redesigning boroughwide bus networks, expanding Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE), and partnering with NYCDOT to create more dedicated bus lanes for faster service."
