Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

erb_capacities_small.jpg
Historically, East River bridges have carried more transit -- and more people -- than they do today. View a larger version of this image.

Last week, Cap'n Transit posted a series about running express bus lanes over bridges and tunnels, which would boost the capacity of crossings and put them on a de facto road diet. These steps will "get rapid transit value even on non-rapid bus routes," he says:

What if we had an XBL on every major bridge and tunnel? We could takeall the buses that pass nearby and feed them through it, bringingpeople into Manhattan where they can get to jobs easier. This would bea form of BRT, even if it doesn't have fancy brands or fake subwaystations.

Enhancing the appeal of transit while taking away lanes for private cars is a fantastic recipe for mode switch. And doing it on the city's biggest bottlenecks could capture some of the virtuous cycle benefits that might have materialized had congestion pricing passed.

The key, says the Cap'n, is not only giving buses dedicated rights-of-way on crossings, but making approaches smoother and providing logical routes after exiting as well. Here's the short version of how he would make this work for buses going through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. (The long version is well worth reading, too.) 

  • Make the Gowanus HOV lane two-way and 24/7
  • Run more buses
  • Extend the Church Street Transitway north, and institute a parallel southbound route
  • Institute through-running of buses to New Jersey and the Bronx

And to make it work on the Brooklyn Bridge...

...you first have to allow buses on the bridge. Then it's a relativelysimple matter of running the Fulton Mall and Livingston Street busesdown Adams Street, and figuring out where they go once they get toManhattan.

Easier said than done, of course, but very much in line with the city's commitment to BRT:

Simple, yes. Easy - especially politically? Not somuch. But all these posts assume a certain level of political andfinancial support for BRT. Without that, you're not going to get muchBRT anywhere in the city.

Note to Cap'n Transit: Ideas this good deserve credit, but all we know about you is that you live in Queens (and work in "accounting"). When will you shed the mask and reveal your true identity?

Image: Federal Highway Administration (PDF)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Wednesday’s Headlines: When ICE Came to Canal Street

Federal agents swarmed all over the blocks around our office on Tuesday, so we went outside and covered it. Plus other news.

October 22, 2025

Redesign for Brooklyn’s Fifth Ave. Shopping Strip Puts Customers First

"The core takeaway from the small business community on this strip is that they want a pedestrian- and transit-priority street," said the architect.

October 22, 2025

Chinatown Plaza Redesign A Good First Step, But City Must Go Bigger

Almost everyone walks through Kimlau Square – even though most of the space is for cars.

October 22, 2025

The ‘Problem’ With E-Bikes? The Super Fast Illegal Ones

New Yorkers are riding illegal vehicles marketed as e-bikes with little to no-consequences, and it's a safety problem.

October 21, 2025

The ‘War on Cars’ Is Worth Fighting — And Here’s What Life Might Look Like When We Win

A first book from the prolific podcast hosts offers a solid foundation for would-be advocates against automobility — and some new ammunition for veterans.

October 21, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Carnage All Over Edition

Monday's papers were a blood tide of crashes. Plus other news.

October 21, 2025
See all posts