Despite the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) ongoing efforts to improve, New York City’s bus speeds were found to be the slowest in the country last year. A report released on the 6th by the Independent Budget Office (IBO) of New York City revealed that the average bus speed in the city last year was just 8.1 miles per hour, the lowest of any major U.S. city.
Looking at the data from 2019 to 2024, the report highlights that bus speeds in New York City have remained stagnant for five years. Breaking down the speeds by bus type, local and limited buses had an average speed of 7.0 mph, which remained unchanged over the five-year period. The Select Bus Service (SBS) buses averaged 8.6 mph, a decrease of 0.3 mph from 2019’s average of 8.9 mph. Express buses averaged 12.8 mph, down 0.9 mph from 13.7 mph in 2019, indicating a general slowdown in bus operating speeds.
The report also analysed bus speeds by borough. Staten Island recorded the highest average speed at 13.9 mph, though this was still a 0.4 mph decrease from 2019. Queens had an average speed of 8.9 mph, a drop of 0.3 mph, while Brooklyn averaged 7.3 mph, a slight decrease of 0.1 mph. Manhattan and the Bronx recorded speeds of 6.3 mph and 7.8 mph, respectively, both showing minor improvements from 2019.
The IBO concluded that the MTA and NYC Transit’s bus speed improvement policies are not having the desired effect, largely because they are not being implemented uniformly across the five boroughs. The report also called for stronger enforcement of bus lane violations, highlighting that the goal of installing 150 miles of bus lanes by 2026 is being delayed. Additionally, the report noted that the MTA’s bus-mounted camera enforcement (ACE) program has led to a 5% improvement in commute times and a 20% reduction in accidents.
Despite these challenges, the MTA’s efforts to improve bus speeds are being closely watched, as they continue to struggle with optimizing service for the city’s residents.