TSTC Says The Lincoln Tunnel Needs A Second Exclusive Bus Lane

For the thousands of riders who depend on buses to get them from Upstate New York & New Jersey to Manhattan know, the exclusive bus lane in & approaching the Lincoln Tunnel is a blessing. The lane cuts travel time by up to 20 minutes when compared to using the non-exclusive lanes in & approaching the tunnel. Unfortunately the bus lane is only in effect during the morning rush going into New York. Evening rush hour commutes do not have the luxury of cutting their commuting time down even though the #’s suggest the lane would be even more useful in the evening.

This opinion has now publicly been stated by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign which took the time to look into the necessity of having a Lincoln Tunnel Exclusive Bus Lane. The TSTC’s Associate Director Veronica Vanterpool takes a look at the issue in her latest entry:

According to a TSTC analysis of data from the Port Authority, more cars leave New York City via the Lincoln Tunnel in the evening than come into the city in the morning. Yet, the Lincoln Tunnel Exclusive Bus Lane (XBL), which allows buses a faster lane through traffic congestion, is only in effect into NY and only during the morning rush hour. Buses headed back to New Jersey during evening peak times must contend with the same gridlock conditions that cars do, despite the environmental benefits of traveling by bus and despite the fact that bus passengers are the largest share of all commuters crossing the Hudson River into NYC.

Click here for the complete entry.

I used to live in Rockland County for 4 years & used the Red&Tan to reach NYC quite often. I definitely feel the TSTC has the right idea in calling for an exclusive bus lane for the evening rush. The traffic leaving New York can be downright horrific during the evening rush & riders face commutes that are 45+ minutes longer than it normally would be. The consistency with which these commutes occur should be a huge sign to showcase that a second exclusive bus lane should be seriously looked at.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Comments

Transit Blogger,

Thanks for consistently reading TSTC’s blog, Mobilizing the Region, and posting to many of our news stories. Just one correction: I am TSTC’s Associate Director. Kate Slevin is TSTC’s Executive Director.

Thanks for the great reporting.
Veronica

Hello Veronica,

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to leave a comment. I apologize for the mistake as I have now corrected it. Thanks for reading & come back often plus keep up the great work you & your colleagues do!

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