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Slow Bus Across 34th Street - the 2005 Pokeys
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 27, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 27, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Yes! It's that time of year againwhen the Straphangers Campaign announces the winners of the Pokeys, for the city's slowest buses. And that Manhattan warhorse, the M34, is the winner again, clocking in at a pitiful 3.4 MPH in its crosstown journey on 34th Street. Here are the winners in each borough:
Brooklyn: B63, at 5.2 mph - between Bay Ridge and Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
Bronx: Bx19, at 4.9 mph - between Fordham in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan
Manhattan: M34, at 3.4 mph - cross-town on 34th Street in Manhattan
Queens: Q58, at 6.9 mph - between Ridgewood and Flushing, Queens
Staten Island: S61, at 11.9 mph - between the Staten Island Mall and Ferry Terminal
11.9 MPH in Staten Island? That is SPEEDING for a Manhattan bus. The Straphangers have various suggestions on how to improve bus efficiency, such as wider bus lanes, longer stops, and our favorite, "bus lanes with physical means to discourage other vehicles from violating bus lanes." Newsday points out that since most people walk at 3 MPH, you could conceivably outwalk the M34. Well, definitely during Christmas when it's all out crazy.
Do you take the bus? Is your bus slow or fast? The bus Gothamist tries to avoid, but it goes both up the West side and across midtown, is the M57. It stops like every half block! You can see the buses included in the Straphangers' study here and you can find your bus route here.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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