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

Street Cheats: One Cop Delaying Hundreds of Bus Riders

Yesterday, multiple members of the City Council used their platform on the transportation committee to vent about buses that leave the bus lane and venture into general traffic lanes.

Despite representing districts where the vast majority of people don't own cars and rely on buses and trains, council members including Ruben Diaz Sr. and Fernando Cabrera just couldn't see past their own experience behind the windshield. Instead of seeing bus lanes as a way for New Yorkers to bypass the congestion caused by space-hogging personal cars, they perceive them as slights to their personal status as motorists.

Maybe because so few council members ride the bus, no one at the hearing mentioned one of the real scourges of the city's bus lane network: cops in bus lanes. Someone should show them this photo that @TheDistancePlan tweeted out last week.

It's a view of 125th Street from Metro-North's Park Avenue viaduct, in the 25th Precinct, where several buses had to merge into the general traffic lane in the span of a few minutes. In other words, hundreds of people were delayed by this single police officer who couldn't be bothered to park a few feet away:

https://twitter.com/gpaulbenson/status/982732525930983424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

A City Council oversight hearing castigating NYPD for degrading the city's transit improvement projects could have sparked some fireworks and generated a few stories in the major dailies. Stuck in their windshield perspective, Diaz and company missed their chance.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

BREAKING: Brooklyn Dem Honcho Appeals Judge’s Ruling Barring City from Tearing Out Bedford Bike Lane

Brooklyn Democratic Party powerhouse and Mayor Adams ally Frank Seddio is appealing a judge's order barring the city from tearing up part of the Bedford Avenue bike lane.

June 20, 2025

DOT Stands By Astoria Bike Lane Plan Despite Foes’ ‘Childish’ Outbursts

DOT is sticking by its protected bike lane proposal after a raucous community board meeting in Astoria.

June 20, 2025

Eyes on the Street: Frankfort Street, Once a Placard Hell, Is Now A Cyclist Haven

Streetsblog gets action! The city has evicted the cops from their placard elite parking near 1 Police Plaza.

June 20, 2025

Uptown Greenway Segment Finally Reopens After Latest Sinkhole Fix

The sinkhole-ridden stretch of greenway has been a pain for cyclists and pedestrians for years.

June 20, 2025

Black Cycling Clubs: ‘We Just Want a Safe Place to Park Our Bikes’

Leaving a bike on the sidewalk overnight or while at work often results in a missing tire or gearset, but for most of us, it’s only a matter of time until the entire frame disappears. 

June 19, 2025
See all posts