A new report by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer finds that MTA buses travel at the slowest speeds in the United States.
The average bus travels just 7.4 miles per hour and only spends about half its time in motion. Another 21 percent is spent stopped at red lights, while 22 percent of the time they’re at bus stops.
Stringer said the slow service has caused the MTA bus system to lose 100 million passenger trips in the last eight years. The biggest decline is in Manhattan, where ridership is down 16 percent since 2011.
“For forty years, our subway system deteriorated, and it has led to the frustration that New Yorkers now feel daily. Today, we’re sounding the alarm on our bus crisis. Falling ridership, major slowdowns, and a bus infrastructure in decline is having an effect across the five boroughs,” Stringer said.
Buses travel slowest in Manhattan, where speeds average 5.5 miles per hour.
Stringer said the MTA should review its bus routes and increase the frequency of buses during “off-peak” hours to improve service.
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