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?
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog New York City
Analysis: ‘Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program’ is a Failure By All Measures
The Department of Transportation wants the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program to simply expire in part because it did not dramatically improve safety among these worst-of-the-worst drivers and led to a tiny number of vehicle seizures.
School Bus Driver Kills Cyclist in Boro Park, 24th Bike Death of 2023
Luis Perez-Ramirez, 44, was biking south on Fort Hamilton Parkway just before 3:15 p.m. when he was struck a by school bus driver making a right turn.
Adams Caves to Opposition, Abandons Bus Improvement Plan on Fordham Road in ‘Betrayal’
The capitulation on Fordham Road is the latest episode in which the mayor has delayed or watered down a transportation project in deference to powerful interests.
Friday’s Headlines: Yes He Said Yes He Will Yes Edition
That headline above is a reference to the last line of James Joyce's Ulysses, which we won't pretend to have read. But we have that ... and other news.
Madness: Port Authority Will Spend $8.3M to ‘Study’ Widening Outerbridge Crossing
Will this $8.3 million find out anything we don't know about induced demand?
