Cops, Cabs and Trucks Ignore 34th Street SBS Lane

34st1.jpg
DOT plans to use cameras to keep cabs and government vehicles out of the 34th Street lanes.

Last Monday the city launched phase one of its second Select Bus Service route, on 34th Street in Manhattan. From what we could tell on Friday, so far some new signage and fresh terracotta paint are about all that distinguish the new lanes from that of a conventional line.

In contrast to the Bx12 Fordham Road route, which debuted in June, there are no pre-paid boarding stations or spiffy aqua blue buses. And in advance of planned camera enforcement and other "soft" deterrents, there is no shortage of vehicles using the lanes for parking during the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. bus-only window.

Streetsblog has a call in to DOT for more info on when additional SBS features will be coming to 34th Street. Plans call for the corridor to eventually become the city’s first "Transitway," with protected bus lanes and a car-free plaza between 5th and 6th Avenues.

34thst_truck.jpg
The driver of this truck was nowhere to be seen for 15-20 minutes.

34thst_bus.jpg
Well, it is a bus lane.

34thst_truck2.jpg
Which should I block: the bus lane or the sidewalk?

Photos: Brad Aaron

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

DOT, MTA Launch 34th Street Select Bus Service Today

By Brad Aaron |
SBS lanes are the first phase of the 34th Street Transitway concept DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and MTA CEO Lee Sander are scheduled to officially roll out 34th Street Select Bus Service at a 1 p.m. press conference today. The new Manhattan route will be the city’s second foray into bus rapid transit, following a […]

Stringer: Bus Lane Blocking Rampant, NYPD Nowhere to Be Found

By Brad Aaron |
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer is calling for a crackdown on bus lane-blocking drivers after a survey conducted by his office found that offending motorists have little chance of receiving a ticket. A truck driver enjoys the convenience of the 34th Street SBS lane. Photo: Brad Aaron Stringer staffers observed more than 350 drivers parked […]

DOT Will Fill in Most of the Second Avenue Bike Lane Gap in Midtown

By David Meyer |
DOT will present plans this spring to fill most, but not all, of the remaining gaps in the north-south protected bike lanes on the East Side of Manhattan. Significantly, DOT intends to create a physically protected bike lane on Second Avenue between 59th Street and 43rd Street. Combined with the bike lane extension coming to the Upper East Side […]