No Joke: New York Transit Riders Need Separated Bus Lanes

It’s sad because it’s true.

When comedian Mark Malkoff set out to generate some publicity by racing the M42 on a child’s tricycle — and winning — he illustrated nicely the frustration and indignity endured by hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers every day.

In his smartly-produced video, you can see that, unlike a bus, Malkoff was easily able to pass stopped cabs and vehicles parked in the bus lane. And though Malkoff reportedly obeyed traffic signals, he of course didn’t need to stop for passengers. Regardless, it’s a sad comment on the state of transit service when it can be outperformed by most any other mode.

Sure, it’s a cute stunt, and notoriously slow buses are a ready-made punchline (“Take that, MTA!”). But the real joke is on New York transit riders, pranked not by the MTA, but by the NIMBYs and skyscraper moguls on 34th Street who just derailed their best chance to see how efficient crosstown bus service can be.

Think a Big Wheel would fare as well in Mexico City?