An update!~ About a week ago (10/31/22) a second bus lane was painted from around 60th street to 79th. This is great because this part is heavily used and so far it's been much faster. This hasn't yet been done on second avenue for some reason (which I'd say needs it more than first) so we'll see what time brings. Anyways, yep. Fun stuff.
The M15 was my school bus route. I used to get on near Chinatown like right across the Manhattan Bridge. and take the bus all the way up to Midtown to get to school. When I was in NYC born and raised but recently moved to Los Angeles transit system out kinda sucks
Really good video, you're really punching above your weight in terms of editing, writing, and overall quality of content. Can't wait to see more out of this channel, also bonus points for using a MF DOOM riff at the beginning.
Yep, maybe two weeks after the video started gaining a lot of traction did the MTA place that section of double bus lane around 63rd street on first avenue. I'm wondering if someone at the MTA saw this video, which would be really cool. Now I'm hoping they make similar changes to second avenue.
The M-15 is the workhorse of the MTA, a straight shot from the UES to Chinatown and relatively quick back uptown, especially the limited or now select.
I think if you have offset bus lanes and, when there is a local stop, you have both offset and a curbside bus lane, that might help with the local buses issue. The local bus could pull to the curb, leaving the offset bus lane free for a select bus to just bypass the local stop without having to go around it.
I’ve rode the M15 once and it was when the M79 just became a sbs route. The m15 wasn’t so bad but it is quite slow. Btw instead of removing the original bus lane and relocating it, keep the lane where it is and then add the extra bus lane to the left.
So two bus lanes? There would not be enough bus traffic to warrant that most of the time, but you're likely right that it would give the buses a second option just in case the other is full.
@@robert.halpern well the M15 is a very used route almost at subway capacity. Two bus lanes can also add more frequency to the M15 before we get the Q extension
i rode the M15 SBS on 1st avenue from 14th st to 57th street and it only took 10 mins, it was so quick. same for the M14. it was my first time riding a manhattan SBS route and i was honestly shocked at how fast it was.
Really depends on the day and time. In the morning (7-8) on weekdays it takes like 20-25 min for about that same length. The section from the 59th street bridge to about 72nd is probably the worst part on the line north of Houston, so I think your 10 min ride just missed the traffic. Tbh first avenue isn't actually that bad, I've found second avenue to be awful in the evening, much worse than first due to the tunnel and bridge traffic. I hope the MTA adds the same double bus lanes to second soon, because it is currently faster to walk to Lexington and take the 6. On late nights, weekends and during midday the M15 hauls for sure though.
@@robert.halpern 1st avenue is never really busy from what ive seen. most people just use Lexington and 2nd since its closer to the bridges and the important stuff in Manhattan. ive seen so much gridlock on 2nd and lex but when i get on 1st is always just normal amounts of traffic. what song did u use for the intro?
I grew up living near the M15 and M15 SBS (formerly M15 Limited). 1st and 2nd Avenues carry so much traffic in certain areas that it'll take a good bit just to go a few blocks. But that's only during the day. Those last few trips on The M15 SBS in either direction, FLY. Smooth ride after a certain time. Overnight M15 Local, same thing.
With the new double wide bus lanes on first from around 60-79 it’s gotten a lot better. For some reason there are still no bus lanes before Houston, but thankfully traffic there seems to be less than around 65th and the 59th street bridge. Recently it’s been really fast and consistent which is awesome.
@@robert.halpern absolutely it has indeed. Im also glad they added a little more time to the M15 SBS. Now they just need to make the South Ferry (Financial District) bound M15 SBS operate later. I have lots of bus route ideas written down. Would love to share them with you 😊😊 my contact info is on my channel. Also feel free to subscribe, everyone is welcome to. 😊
update 12/26/23 i need the local more it barely shows and if it does it half turns at poke st which isn't beneficial because the m15 sbs doesn't serve my stop
The bus lane on 2 Av needs to get moved away from the curb. Construction on the west side of 2 Av ends up rendering the lane useless and buses end up in traffic.
you should talk about m116 as a m116 rider from west to east it goes really crowded at the stopping time is quite slow each especially lex ave 116 3rd ave and e 117st on the westbound services in my opinion m116 needs an artics buses or limited and if it does it should terminate where m15 terminates
Decreasing local buses that Disabled folks rely on in rush hr, will get a lot of pushback. Especially in 1 of the nation's wealthiest Zip Codes. Yes, there is Access A Ride and when chatting with those waiting outside to be picked up hr+ after their appt, it shows why status quo exists. Bus Bulbs/Sidewalk extensions would be needed, if 2nd lane from the curb is used as a Bus Only Lane. Bus Driver Bill will be removed from the bus, if passengers are injured boarding/exiting in a moving lane or away from the actual stop.
-shift bus lane over 1 lane With in front of commercial(unloading only) With in front of residential(Parking only) Don’t shift bus lane by 59 St bridge, Queens midtown tunnel, United Nations instead make a barrier -decrease local M15 bus service during rush hour even more -another OMNY reader behind door(for people to pay when bus is moving)
The M15 Select Bus Service is one of my Favorite Bus Lines But there is also a Problem Sometimes I have to wait 15 Mins For the M15 SBS on Some occasions when I have to Catch the Staten island Ferry back home from Chinatown Because It mostly Runs every 30 Mins the M15 Local Comes and take the Local to the Last Stop South Ferry Terminal and I Would catch the Ferry on time And also I have One more Complaint for the Service There is some Service Gaps and not enough Service especially on Weekends for especially Sunday that is when I usually noticed The frequency of M15 SBS Buses
thanks a ton haha, I notice that a lot of people in this community/niche don't really spend much time making their videos look "professional" so mine seem to kind of stand out by default which is awesome! Only big downside for me is that I'm slow so I can only upload once every few weeks. Editing is so fun either way that it's a win-win.
Yeah, you're right. To give some credit though, at any point other than rush hour on weekdays it usually runs pretty well. Also just this week they added a second bus lane from like 60th (I think) to 79th which should improve speeds a ton in that heavily traveled section. But biking is much more reliable, I agree.
If the bike lanes on the east river connected from the bit around 34th to the part around 60th I would totally use it. Unfortunately the bike lanes on first and second need some work and can be pretty dangerous, not worth the risk to me when the bus is right there.
That's fare beaters and that's because you keep voting for weak on crime democrats and DA's like Alvin Bragg. But that isn't the issue here. The issue here is traffic. You can't do anything about it. Maybe congestion pricing might help but other than it's just the nature of living in a large city.
I leave in East Harlem. I use the M15SBS to get to the Q train on 96 street. I wish fase two can finish so I can have a station a block away from me... Right now the M15 SBS is my second Ave Subway 😅
2 fare machines at the front will 100% slow everything down. There's just not enough room to move around. And the schedule is just not that reliable since there's too much traffic and crazy stuff happening already in NYC. Your better off with a phone.
Yeah, it would be slow. Right now the issue with okay is that the process of setting up a digital wallet and whatever isn’t totally straightforward and I can imagine many having trouble setting it up first. Also, people slower on phones might have trouble paying which will lead to a slower boarding time in general. Instead of flaunting the benefits of OMNY on ads and posters they should be showing exactly how to use it and set it up. I would like the ability to pay with my school metrocard on SBS after boarding, however.
Lexington ave doesn’t need the m101 the m102&103 need more service that area doesn’t need limited stop service. Just keep stop spacing of locals reasonable
The 6 has generally really good turnaround times during the day though. Even waiting 10 minutes for a train is likely faster than waiting 3 minutes for a bus just because of the traffic. Late night service is another story- I can see how a bus would be faster. I agree with merging 3/Lex lines though. They could possibly make the Harlem end of the 101,102 and 103 a single loop (?) and just have an M101 that goes from City Hall or lower to 125th or even farther to 140th by going along Lenox.
Look ALL the buses and train in NYC need to be revamped because they're unreliable and late all the time! And of course, the MTA has 1000 excuses for why they won't get on it!
M15 is my fave route bus line 😂😂😂😂🖐️💀🦍😍🤪🙏😹
Same bro
👍
I like the ak47 line more tho
@@robert.halpern can you talk about the Lexington bus trio?
I like the Q44 better
An update!~ About a week ago (10/31/22) a second bus lane was painted from around 60th street to 79th. This is great because this part is heavily used and so far it's been much faster. This hasn't yet been done on second avenue for some reason (which I'd say needs it more than first) so we'll see what time brings.
Anyways, yep. Fun stuff.
The parking on the bus lane is a big issue. I don't think that will ever get fixed because people will still find a way to block it.
The M15 was my school bus route. I used to get on near Chinatown like right across the Manhattan Bridge. and take the bus all the way up to Midtown to get to school. When I was in NYC born and raised but recently moved to Los Angeles transit system out kinda sucks
This is my fave bus line bro. Much respect to you
it's pretty useful!
Really good video, you're really punching above your weight in terms of editing, writing, and overall quality of content. Can't wait to see more out of this channel, also bonus points for using a MF DOOM riff at the beginning.
thank you!! Researching and writing is fun but it's really tough imo. (also, remember to celebrate DOOMSDAY today!)
I agree, glad I was recommended it.
The city actually started the new bus lanes now
I love how this was actually added
Yep, maybe two weeks after the video started gaining a lot of traction did the MTA place that section of double bus lane around 63rd street on first avenue. I'm wondering if someone at the MTA saw this video, which would be really cool.
Now I'm hoping they make similar changes to second avenue.
Amazing Quality! Can't wait to see more from you
The M-15 is the workhorse of the MTA, a straight shot from the UES to Chinatown and relatively quick back uptown, especially the limited or now select.
The fact you made this is amazing, Soon they will have the manhattan bus redesign hopefully helping the m15
Love the editing on this video!
Keep it up Robert Halpern. I really like your videos. Do you mind making one for the BX.41?
My brain just shuts down when I try to make sense of the bus map
I think if you have offset bus lanes and, when there is a local stop, you have both offset and a curbside bus lane, that might help with the local buses issue. The local bus could pull to the curb, leaving the offset bus lane free for a select bus to just bypass the local stop without having to go around it.
I’ve rode the M15 once and it was when the M79 just became a sbs route. The m15 wasn’t so bad but it is quite slow.
Btw instead of removing the original bus lane and relocating it, keep the lane where it is and then add the extra bus lane to the left.
So two bus lanes? There would not be enough bus traffic to warrant that most of the time, but you're likely right that it would give the buses a second option just in case the other is full.
@@robert.halpern well the M15 is a very used route almost at subway capacity. Two bus lanes can also add more frequency to the M15 before we get the Q extension
Nice editing!
i rode the M15 SBS on 1st avenue from 14th st to 57th street and it only took 10 mins, it was so quick. same for the M14. it was my first time riding a manhattan SBS route and i was honestly shocked at how fast it was.
Really depends on the day and time. In the morning (7-8) on weekdays it takes like 20-25 min for about that same length. The section from the 59th street bridge to about 72nd is probably the worst part on the line north of Houston, so I think your 10 min ride just missed the traffic.
Tbh first avenue isn't actually that bad, I've found second avenue to be awful in the evening, much worse than first due to the tunnel and bridge traffic. I hope the MTA adds the same double bus lanes to second soon, because it is currently faster to walk to Lexington and take the 6.
On late nights, weekends and during midday the M15 hauls for sure though.
@@robert.halpern 1st avenue is never really busy from what ive seen. most people just use Lexington and 2nd since its closer to the bridges and the important stuff in Manhattan. ive seen so much gridlock on 2nd and lex but when i get on 1st is always just normal amounts of traffic.
what song did u use for the intro?
I grew up living near the M15 and M15 SBS (formerly M15 Limited). 1st and 2nd Avenues carry so much traffic in certain areas that it'll take a good bit just to go a few blocks. But that's only during the day. Those last few trips on The M15 SBS in either direction, FLY. Smooth ride after a certain time. Overnight M15 Local, same thing.
With the new double wide bus lanes on first from around 60-79 it’s gotten a lot better. For some reason there are still no bus lanes before Houston, but thankfully traffic there seems to be less than around 65th and the 59th street bridge. Recently it’s been really fast and consistent which is awesome.
@@robert.halpern absolutely it has indeed. Im also glad they added a little more time to the M15 SBS. Now they just need to make the South Ferry (Financial District) bound M15 SBS operate later.
I have lots of bus route ideas written down. Would love to share them with you 😊😊 my contact info is on my channel. Also feel free to subscribe, everyone is welcome to. 😊
Awesome video! New sub!
update 12/26/23 i need the local more it barely shows and if it does it half turns at poke st which isn't beneficial because the m15 sbs doesn't serve my stop
The bus lane on 2 Av needs to get moved away from the curb. Construction on the west side of 2 Av ends up rendering the lane useless and buses end up in traffic.
What about the B82 SBS ?
I personally use the M15 the most. However, some days it is just faster to walk XD
Facts. As an N4 rider, if the bus is coming in like 15 minutes I rather just walk.
you should talk about m116 as a m116 rider from west to east it goes really crowded at the stopping time is quite slow each especially lex ave 116 3rd ave and e 117st on the westbound services in my opinion m116 needs an artics buses or limited and if it does it should terminate where m15 terminates
@The Mystery Railfan i completly forgot lol but like what if both depot ranned the route?
Great video!
Decreasing local buses that Disabled folks rely on in rush hr, will get a lot of pushback. Especially in 1 of the nation's wealthiest Zip Codes. Yes, there is Access A Ride and when chatting with those waiting outside to be picked up hr+ after their appt, it shows why status quo exists. Bus Bulbs/Sidewalk extensions would be needed, if 2nd lane from the curb is used as a Bus Only Lane. Bus Driver Bill will be removed from the bus, if passengers are injured boarding/exiting in a moving lane or away from the actual stop.
-shift bus lane over 1 lane
With in front of commercial(unloading only)
With in front of residential(Parking only)
Don’t shift bus lane by 59 St bridge, Queens midtown tunnel, United Nations instead make a barrier
-decrease local M15 bus service during rush hour even more
-another OMNY reader behind door(for people to pay when bus is moving)
@@broyofroyo1207 Good Luck with that.
@@BlimpCityFeeder yup
Thanks
The M15 Select Bus Service is one of my Favorite Bus Lines But there is also a Problem Sometimes I have to wait 15 Mins For the M15 SBS on Some occasions when I have to Catch the Staten island Ferry back home from Chinatown Because It mostly Runs every 30 Mins the M15 Local Comes and take the Local to the Last Stop South Ferry Terminal and I Would catch the Ferry on time And also I have One more Complaint for the Service There is some Service Gaps and not enough Service especially on Weekends for especially Sunday that is when I usually noticed The frequency of M15 SBS Buses
Be thankful if they got rid of the exhaust.
Always running late!!
M15 GLOW UP
my bad, forgot my youtube password.
what do you think could be some ways to improve reliability of all NYC buses?
Bus Lanes, More Cameras to Charge cars who violate the bus lane.
Bus lanes, MUCH more investment into new SBS and Limiteds in the outer boroughs, and maybe just… adding more subways so crowding could be lessened.
Center lane bus lanes for two ways and left lane bus lanes for one ways
All door boarding on all busses
THEY WAY YOU EDITED THE TRAINS THOUGH
Lol
Shuttle Train
But Its Also A Bus
Good 👍 idea 💡
this editing is fucking insane, can you please explain why you dont have more subs?
thanks a ton haha, I notice that a lot of people in this community/niche don't really spend much time making their videos look "professional" so mine seem to kind of stand out by default which is awesome! Only big downside for me is that I'm slow so I can only upload once every few weeks.
Editing is so fun either way that it's a win-win.
@@robert.halpern glad that you enjoy editing, i know a lot of people who really dont which is why they're videos are pretty poor quality.
This bus is a joke. If i want to get some knitting done or read a book then this is the bus. Citibike is the way
Yeah, you're right. To give some credit though, at any point other than rush hour on weekdays it usually runs pretty well. Also just this week they added a second bus lane from like 60th (I think) to 79th which should improve speeds a ton in that heavily traveled section.
But biking is much more reliable, I agree.
Do m14A next
It’s great to outbike the M15
If the bike lanes on the east river connected from the bit around 34th to the part around 60th I would totally use it. Unfortunately the bike lanes on first and second need some work and can be pretty dangerous, not worth the risk to me when the bus is right there.
XD100💀
The main issue is fair beetles .. because of that the mta will continue to reduce bus service
That's fare beaters and that's because you keep voting for weak on crime democrats and DA's like Alvin Bragg. But that isn't the issue here. The issue here is traffic. You can't do anything about it. Maybe congestion pricing might help but other than it's just the nature of living in a large city.
@@fsdf3755 I vote Republican,
I leave in East Harlem. I use the M15SBS to get to the Q train on 96 street. I wish fase two can finish so I can have a station a block away from me... Right now the M15 SBS is my second Ave Subway 😅
2 fare machines at the front will 100% slow everything down. There's just not enough room to move around. And the schedule is just not that reliable since there's too much traffic and crazy stuff happening already in NYC. Your better off with a phone.
Yeah, it would be slow. Right now the issue with okay is that the process of setting up a digital wallet and whatever isn’t totally straightforward and I can imagine many having trouble setting it up first. Also, people slower on phones might have trouble paying which will lead to a slower boarding time in general.
Instead of flaunting the benefits of OMNY on ads and posters they should be showing exactly how to use it and set it up.
I would like the ability to pay with my school metrocard on SBS after boarding, however.
Widen the bus lane
At this point the M15 should be a light rail at this point
Lexington ave doesn’t need the m101 the m102&103 need more service that area doesn’t need limited stop service. Just keep stop spacing of locals reasonable
I think lexington av is perfect right now. But I do wish they didnt cut the M98 LTD back from East Midtown (34 st) to Midtown (68 st - Hunter college)
You say that they don't need limited service, until you're on lexington needing to go downtown and the 6 train is 10 minutes away.
The 6 has generally really good turnaround times during the day though. Even waiting 10 minutes for a train is likely faster than waiting 3 minutes for a bus just because of the traffic. Late night service is another story- I can see how a bus would be faster.
I agree with merging 3/Lex lines though. They could possibly make the Harlem end of the 101,102 and 103 a single loop (?) and just have an M101 that goes from City Hall or lower to 125th or even farther to 140th by going along Lenox.
@@fade1980 that’s what bx35 and 4 train is for the center bus lane makes bx35 fast
@@AlgonquinRider810 it’s called add more 6 trains. LTD bus is not a train substitute. Plus the M102/103 are a thing
this is BS M15 is fine as it the way it is
you say manhattan weird
thanks
Look ALL the buses and train in NYC need to be revamped because they're unreliable and late all the time! And of course, the MTA has 1000 excuses for why they won't get on it!