New 23rd St Bus Line a Mess Despite Mayor's Self-Praise

CHELSEA, NY — The new bus service launched on Monday crosstown along 23rd Street in Manhattan, from Avenue C to 12th Avenue, is already a mess.

The mayor's office, along with the Department of Transportation and the MTA, announced the official launch of the M23 bus line Monday, praising themselves in a press release for a new route that will serve 13,000 commuters.

But by Monday morning, the new M23 bus lane was already blocked by a FedEx delivery truck, which was blocked from its own lane by a line of parked cabs.

"In 2013, we committed ourselves to expanding the number of communities that see the benefits of Select Bus Service," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. "From Chelsea Piers to Turtle Bay, communities with limited subway options will now learn that SBS has a winning formula to transform bus commutes. SBS saves commuters precious time while also making streets – including the newly added 23rd Street route – much safer, suiting our Vision Zero goals."

But a new bus line, and designated bus lanes, are only as good as how much they're actually used, and enforced.

Photo credit: Marc A. Hermann/MTA New York City Transit/Flickr/CC by 2.0