Transit Activists 'Race' Bus On 14th St. To Union Square

EAST VILLAGE, NY — Transit advocates held a 'race' with the M14 bus from Avenue A to Union Square on Wednesday — shedding light on the crosstown corridor's notoriously slow bus route.

Some 15 transit activists walked and another handful rode the M14 starting at Avenue A and ending at Union Square, according to Joe Cutrufo, spokesperson for Transportation Alternatives, which organized the action.

The bus was a mere five seconds quicker than the pedestrians, which Cutrufo noted was when the L train was running business-as-usual and public schools were closed.

"We weren't running — we were just walking," said transportation activist and Stuyvesant Town resident Kate Birmingham. "I'm 66," she added, emphasizing that changes to make people want to take the bus — like ensuring its speediness — is critical.

Not surprised that @katebirmingham2 #beatthebus today EVEN THO there were less cars on the street bc of impending ❄️ and #MidwinterRecess If I was on my bike, I would ride circles around the #M15 we need better bus service !!! pic.twitter.com/VJD4I6tyrL
— CLAIRE B EYONCE (@clairebrennan) February 20, 2019

The Bus Turnaround Coalition has compiled data and found that the M14A runs at 4 mph and the M14D runs at 4.1 mph, on average.

The action with Transportation Alternatives, NY League of Conservation Voters, and east siders comes just days after the MTA told reporters that the 14th St. busway would be unnecessary and ultimately scrapped now that a full L train shutdown is no more. A busway, however, could be implemented by the city, regardless of the MTA's decision. A spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio said last week de Blasio has not yet made a decision.

"We definitely, clearly, need a busway," Birmingham argued. "There's no doubt about it."

Transit advocates want the city to keep streets improvements regardless of how the L train is repaired, such as the busway and bike lanes on 12th and 13th Sts., though some in Manhattan, particularly the West Village, have been vehemently opposed to a busway because of fears it would push existing car traffic to narrower side-streets.

M14 riders gathering this morning to race the bus! With an average speed of just 4mph, 14th Street is so jammed we might as well walk! We need a 14th Street busway now! #LTrainSlowdown @TransAlt @nylcv @MannyCantorNYC pic.twitter.com/INalP0sdC6
— Thomas DeVito (@PedestrianTom) February 20, 2019

But busway aside, plans to add M14 SBS service to the route have been delayed — something various residents have raised at community board meetings for months.

The M14 SBS service was supposed to launch back in January, but was later delayed to coincide with the L train shutdown in April. The NYC Transit President Andy Byford, told Aaron Gordon who runs Signal Problems back in January that he "still love to run" the SBS service, according to Streetsblog.

MTA spokesperson Shams Tarek said the agency is working with the Department of Transportation to install a bus lane for permanent SBS service, but did not specify when that would happen.

"We agree buses need to move faster — that’s why we’re working with city partners like NYPD and NYCDOT to help manage traffic congestion hotspots and bus lane obstacles, are expanding the use of technologies such as GPS and traffic signals that prioritize buses, are upgrading to a digital communications and dispatch network and are advocating for more camera enforcement on bus lanes," Tarek said. "On 14th Street, we’re working with NYCDOT to install a dedicated bus lane and implement permanent SBS on that route."

The Mayor's office and the Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to questions about the Mayor's decision regarding the busway.