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

Queue Jumps: A Simple Fix to Speed Up NYC’s Buses

With the City Council set to take on NYC's declining bus service tomorrow morning, here's a look at one of the many strategies DOT and the MTA can employ to speed up the city's slowest-in-the-nation buses: queue jumps.

Queue jumps give buses a green light before other vehicles at an intersection, often via a dedicated "queue jump lane" that allows buses to skip to the front of the line. Using footage from Seattle, Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson put together this short to demonstrate the concept.

There are already a few queue jumps in NYC -- on the M86 Select Bus Service route, for example -- but there should be a lot more of them. In its recent Mobility Report, DOT showed that it can now pinpoint specific street segments where buses get slowed down. These are locations where targeted improvements like queue jumps can make a big difference.

If DOT and the MTA think big about how to turn around NYC bus service, they'll identify intersections all over town where buses should get a queue jump.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

KOMANOFF: Data Show South Bronx Isn’t Seeing Increased Traffic from Congestion Pricing

The central business district toll did not lead to a traffic influx in the South Bronx, our columnist reveals.

September 9, 2025

Opinion: Let’s Put a Real Busway on Atlantic Avenue

Yes, everyone is talking about the city's busway plans for Flatbush Avenue, but Brooklyn’s true corridor for bus rapid transit its east-west spine.

September 9, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Adams v. Adams Edition

Can a Speaker named Adams finish the job that a mayor named Adams has failed to do? Plus other news.

September 9, 2025

DOT Downsizes Very Modest Brooklyn Bike Lane Plan After Pushback

Activists were furious that such a minimal initial proposal had been truncated further after predictable bikelash.

September 8, 2025

Adams Admin. Will ‘Begin Installing’ Flatbush Ave. Bus Lanes After Years of Dithering

The full plan which includes pedestrian bump-outs and bus boarding islands will have to wait until the spring, officials said.

September 8, 2025
See all posts