New MTA NYCT bus performance dashboard is a win for riders

Riders can now locate and download such information easily, a notable leap forward from the days of searching through board packets and deciphering what one could from inadequate metrics like wait assessment.

The new bus performance dashboard could be made even more useful for riders with the addition of route-level analysis. If a rider of the Bx19 is curious about how her route is performing, she won’t find answers within the current dashboard. Second, historical data on reliability should be made available dating back to 2015. Finally, one of the most important things that can be done with these improved metrics is to link them with the agency’s goals for improving buses, in order to evaluate progress and determine which solutions are proving most effective.

Increasingly slow and unreliable service is costing riders time and opportunities every day. The dashboard illustrates this and provides a foundation for addressing performance challenges where they matter most.

NYC bus riders are eagerly awaiting the MTA NYCT’s forthcoming bus plan. They deserve action that matches the magnitude and urgency of the problem. The redesign of Staten Island’s express buses underway now is precisely the type of reform needed to achieve quick, dependable trips. We strongly support that effort and applaud NYCT President Andy Byford’s commitment to providing the same type of upgrade to riders throughout the five boroughs. Another ambitious solution that should be part of the plan for reform is all door boarding on buses systemwide with the implementation of the new fare payment system. Such measures, alongside collaboration with NYC DOT and other elements of city government to give buses unobstructed priority on the street provide a clear path for a much needed turnaround.