A Limited for the 21st 1 Century: Applying BRT Principles to Create Select Bus Service on Hylan Boulevard

Staten Island is the most suburban of New York City's five boroughs, but it still has a large number of bus riders, particularly on the Hylan Boulevard corridor. MTA (Metroplolitan Transit Authority) New York City Transit and the New York City Department of Transportation worked together to improve bus service in this corridor by implementing short-term, low-cost BRT (bus rapid transit) elements, including limited-stop spacing, targeted bus lanes, and pedestrian enhancements in a manner appropriate to this high-traffic suburban setting. The resulting S79 Select Bus Service showed the value of these simple improvements in improving bus service with strong public support, while maintaining other traffic flow needed on the street. The project improved bus speeds by 13-19%, while also improving pedestrian safety.