Welcoming the Debut of the M15 Select Bus Service

After several years of work and advocacy by the Community Advisory Committee for Select Bus Service (CAC) on First and Second Avenues, East Side elected officials, Manhattan Community Board 6, Transportation Alternatives and other transportation and community stakeholders, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) debuted the M15 Select Bus Service (SBS) along First and Second Avenues on Sunday, October 10.  While short of the true Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system for which many of us had advocated, SBS has proven to increase bus speed and convenience.  An SBS installed in the Bronx has resulted in 20% faster bus trips, and it is expected that we will see similar if not greater benefits along the underserved East Side of Manhattan.  As with any new service, implementation has had its challenges as bus riders, drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and law enforcement, along with residents and businesses along the routes adjust to the changes.  However, I am confident that the end result will be dramatically faster bus service.  I thank DOT and all the members of the CAC for making the First and Second Avenues SBS a reality.