It may not be the fastest, but the riders are definitely let down.
The M42 Crosstown has just been named the slowest bus in New York City. For those who ride it, this probably doesn’t come as a shock.
The MTA Shuttle received the first “Porky Prize” from the New York Public Interest Research Group after clocking in at a sluggish average speed of 8.25 miles per hour over the past three years.
At this speed, the M42 would finish about 42,232nd out of 59,226 participants in this year’s New York Marathon.
“It’s torture,” shared Leanne Ottomanelli, who takes the two-mile M42 route almost six times a week. It takes her around 45 minutes to complete.
Having used this route for 14 or 15 years, she finds it even more frustrating as there are more passengers but the same or fewer buses available.
“I really can’t stand the MTA,” she added.
The M42’s dubious achievement comes just two months after the City Auditor’s Office gave it a disappointing “D” for efficiency.
All MTA and New York City Transit buses serving over 5,000 passengers daily were highlighted for issues.
Just Tuesday afternoon, the M42 was moving at such a crawl that a Post reporter, walking at 2 miles per hour, managed to outpace it between the first stop at 12th Street and the sixth stop at 7th Street.
The bus took about 30 minutes to cover that stretch of 1.8 miles.
Some passengers even checked the travel time and opted to walk instead of waiting for the bus.
It seems the main issue is the disregard for designated bus lanes on the M42, which were obstructed by taxis and double-parked delivery vehicles on Tuesday.
In fact, three police cars were idling in a bus lane in a particularly busy Times Square area.
Susan, who rides the bus daily between 12th Street and 7th Street, pointed out, “It’s not just that the buses are slow; it’s the traffic.” She feels frustrated with the reality that bus lanes are often blocked, making it impossible for buses to navigate through.
She also expressed that enforcement against bus lane violations seems non-existent, or that authorities may not be inclined to ticket offenders.
Even though bus lane enforcement cameras were installed on the M42 in July, the issue of double parking persists.
Walter Riley, who rides the bus a couple of times a week, got off early during his trip on Tuesday due to the delays. He mused that perhaps it was leftover congestion from the Veterans Day parade.
“This is really frustrating,” he noted. “I would’ve been better off walking. No one seems to obey the rules, and it creates all this traffic.”
However, there is a silver lining—while the M42 remains at the bottom, it’s actually faster than the previous year’s winner, the M102, which was clocked at just 4.6 mph but has since improved to 6.08 mph.
The slowest routes in New York City average speeds between 5.2 and 6.0 mph, according to the research group.
Interestingly, all the “winners” for the boroughs, like the M42, were crosstown buses, with Brooklyn’s B35 at 5.36 mph, the Bronx’s Bx35 at 5.59 mph, Queens’ Q72 at 6.08 mph, and Staten Island’s S48 at 9.19 mph.
During a press conference, John McCarthy, the MTA’s director of policy and external affairs, acknowledged the M42’s new title but argued that 42nd Street should really be the focus of the award.
“The bus wants to provide a good service and go fast,” McCarthy stated. “But there are obstacles that are causing these delays.” He emphasized that the real problem lies with the streets and vehicles that block the buses.
