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

Select Bus Service Debuts on Manhattan’s East Side

This weekend, Select Bus Service debuted on First and Second Avenues in Manhattan, bringing a package of improvements to speed trips on one of New York's most-used bus routes. Buses on the M15 route were traveling at a snail-like clip of less than 6 mph before the introduction of SBS.

Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, New York City Transit's Director of Bus Planning Ted Orosz, and MTA Bus Company President Joe Smith spoke to Streetfilms about how SBS will make traveling on the east side of Manhattan faster and easier for transit riders. The major changes include dedicated bus lanes enforced by cameras, priority for buses at traffic lights, and off-board fare collection.

Select Bus Service in the Bronx has produced a 20 percent improvement in travel times and enticed thousands more New Yorkers to ride the bus. Officials project that once people get used to the new system on First and Second Avenues, transit riders on the east side will see similar gains. Have a look and see how it works.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Queens Pol Trolls Her Own Constituents From Her Ticket-Covered Lincoln As They March For Car-Free Parks

Queens Council Member Joann Ariola mocked her own constituents in an "adolescent" and "antagonistic" move just because some people want a car-free park.

February 9, 2026

Snow Problem: Can New York City Handle Big Winter Storms Anymore?

There are eight million people in the big city. And 32 million opinions on the Mamdani administration's response to its first snow crisis.

February 9, 2026

Video: Another Way The Snow Reveals Our Misallocation of Public Space

New Yorkers barely use their cars and, instead, use them to seize public space.

February 9, 2026

Monday’s Headlines: Bureaucratic Morass Edition

Restaurants hoping to set up in the city's open streets hit a bureaucratic snag — but DOT said a solution is coming. Plus more news.

February 9, 2026

Andy Byford’s ‘Trump Card’ On Penn Station Keeps Wrecking New York’s Infrastructure Projects

What will become of the Amtrak executive's plans for Penn Station under President Trump?

February 6, 2026

FLASHBACK: What Happened To Car-Free ‘Snow Routes’ — And Could They Have Helped City Clear the Streets?

Remember those bright red signs that banned parking from snow emergency routes? Here is the curious story of how New York City abandoned a key component of its snow removal system.

February 6, 2026
See all posts