N.Y. MTA and N.Y. DOT partner to launch BRT

MTA New York City Transit is joining the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide Select Bus Service (SBS) - a new type of rapid bus operation employing advance fare payment, dedicated travel lanes and traffic signal priority.

The introduction of SBS to the Bx12 is the culmination of a three-year collaborative effort among NYC Transit, DOT, and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). NYC Transit has also worked closely with the New York City Police Department and the New York City Department of Transportation to develop a process to keep the bus lanes clear of traffic, insuring the free flow of buses along the Select Bus Service corridor.

Bronx bus customers along the Bx12 route will be the first to use the new service, which is designed to be faster, more reliable and more efficient than current bus operations, incorporating the efficiency and capacity of light rail transit without the limitations and construction costs of a fixed-rail system.

NYC Transit's Select Bus Service, like other Bus Rapid Transit systems around the country, uses Traffic Signal Priority (TSP) and prior to boarding proof-of-payment fare collection. Traffic signal prioritization will hold or advance a green signal by several seconds to allow a bus through an intersection without stopping.