Route map:
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m15
m15
First and Second Avenues Line
An M15 bus at South Ferry
Overview
System MTA Regional Bus Operations
Operator New York City Transit Authority
Garage Tuskegee Airmen Depot (local)
Mother Clara Hale Depot (SBS)
Vehicle Nova Bus LFS articulated
New Flyer Xcelsior XD60
Livery M15 SBS: Select Bus Service
Route
Locale Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Communities served East Harlem, Upper East Side, Yorkville, Lenox Hill, Turtle Bay, Murray Hill, Kips Bay, Gramercy Park, East Village, Lower East Side, Chinatown, Financial District
Landmarks served Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, United Nations
Start East Harlem – 126th Street
Via First Avenue (northbound)
Second Avenue (southbound)
Allen Street
Water Street
End Pike Street / Cherry Street (local)
South Ferry (local and SBS)
Length8.6 miles (13.8 km) [1] (southbound)
Service
Operates24 hours; no SBS or Cherry Street service at night [2] [3]
Annual patronage9,628,034 (2022) [4]
TransfersYes
Timetable M15 M15 SBS
←  M14 SBS
B82 SBS (by borough)
Bx12 SBS (by route number)
 {{{system_nav}}}  M20
M23 SBS
M23 SBS →

The First and Second Avenues Line, also known as the Second Avenue Line, is a bus line in Manhattan, New York City, running mostly along Second Avenue (and northbound on First Avenue since 1951) from Lower Manhattan to East Harlem. Originally a streetcar line along Second Avenue, it is now the M15 bus route, the busiest bus route in the city and United States, carrying 16.4 million riders annually. [5] MTA Regional Bus Operations, under the New York City Bus and Select Bus Service brands, operates the local out of the Tuskegee Airmen Bus Depot and the SBS from the Mother Clara Hale Bus Depot. Service is operated exclusively with articulated buses.

History

An M15 local bus stops at VA Hospital, heading uptown.

The Second Avenue Railroad opened the line in 1853 and 1854, from Peck Slip on the East River north along Pearl Street, Bowery (shared with the Third Avenue Line), Grand Street, Chrystie Street, and Second Avenue to East Harlem. A short branch was later built along Stuyvesant Street and Astor Place to end at Broadway in NoHo. The Metropolitan Street Railway leased the line in January 1898, and on April 3 the line from Astor Place to Manhattan was electrified. The original line was later electrified to the Bowery, where streetcars used the Third Avenue Line to City Hall, and the line to Peck Slip was abandoned.

Buses were substituted for streetcars by the East Side Omnibus Corporation on June 25, 1933. The New York City Board of Transportation took over operations in 1948, with the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) replacing it in 1953.

Limited-stop service began on September 13, 1976, with buses making only 15 stops, spaced every eight blocks, between 126th Street and Houston Street, saving riders up to 23 minutes. Limited-stop service ran every six minutes on weekdays, heading southbound in the morning, between 7:12 and 9:21 a.m., and northbound in the afternoon, between 4:12 and 6:11 p.m. [6] These buses were identified by signs on the lower right side of the windshield. [7] As part of the project, new dedicated bus lanes were installed.

On September 7, 1987, a public hearing was held to discuss the NYCTA's plan to reduce the span of weekend evening M15 service to City Hall and Park Row from ending at 12:40 a.m. to ending at 8:10 p.m.. In addition, the hours of weekday service were to be lengthened slightly. The changes were to be made to provide a more uniform service frequency and service pattern. [8]

On January 13, 1997, 108 more limited-stop trips were added on weekdays. [9] In June 2002 as part of an outside study, the First/Second Avenues corridor was identified for the implementation of bus rapid transit (BRT) service, due to heavy ridership and slow travel speeds on the corridor. [10] [11] In November 2002, the MTA Board voted to lengthen the span of weekday evening southbound service by one hour to 7:50 p.m., weekday northbound service by 1.5 hours to 9:45 p.m., the span of northbound evening Saturday service by one hour to 8:25 p.m., and the span of northbound Sunday service to 8:10 p.m.. The service increase was expected to result in no change in costs initially. Though the change was initially expected to take effect in March 2003, [12] it was implemented on April 14, 2003. [13]

In late 2004, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the New York City Department of Transportation selected the route as one of the candidates for bus rapid transit service, along with Fordham Road (since implemented), Nostrand Avenue, Merrick Boulevard, and Hylan Boulevard. This evolved into Phase I of the Select Bus Service (SBS) program in 2006. [10] [14] [15] [16] On October 10, 2010, service began on the M15 Select Bus Service, replacing limited stop service. [16] [17] [18] [19] Due to the construction of the Second Avenue Subway, the M15 SBS initially had no stop at 72nd Street, even though that was a major street that had been served by limited-stop buses. [20] Both the M15 local and M15 SBS were previously assigned to the 126th Street Depot until January 4, 2015. [21]

Route description

The M15 runs from South Ferry in the Financial District and 126th Street in East Harlem. [22] Southbound service uses Second Avenue from East 125th to Houston Streets, then uses First Avenue, Madison Street, Water Street and South Ferry. Limited made all stops in south of Houston Street. Prior to the implementation of the M15 SBS, previous M15 Limited stops were eliminated at St Mark's Place and East 72nd Street north of Houston Street. Several stops south of Houston Street were also eliminated. [23] During the daytime and evening hours, local service alternates between Whitehall Street and Pike Street / Cherry Street. Overnight service is provided by local buses only, serving Whitehall Street. Select Bus Service trips terminate at the South Ferry bus loop. By then, the MTA had discontinued service to City Hall due to budget cuts.

Terminated M15 SBS buses laying over in the South Ferry Bus Loop at the west end of Peter Minuit Plaza, at the south end of Peter Minuit Place (South Street and Peter Minuit Place) in South Ferry, Lower Manhattan.
A Harlem-bound M15 local bus at 1st Avenue and 23rd Street in Kips Bay, Manhattan.

Select Bus Service Stops

A geographically correct map of the M15 Select Bus Service, showing all stations and connections. The route is shown in turquoise.
Station
Street traveled
Direction Connections
South Ferry
Whitehall Terminal
Southbound terminal,
northbound station

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M20, M55
NYC Subway: "1" train "N" train "R" train "W" train trains at South Ferry/Whitehall Street
Staten Island Ferry

Wall Street
Water Street
Bidirectional

Downtown Connection: Downtown Loop
NYC Bus: M15 Local

Fulton Street
South Street Seaport
Catherine Street
Madison Street

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M22 (eastbound only)

Hester / Grand Streets

NYC Subway: NYC Bus: M15 Local "B" train "D" train trains at Grand Street

Houston Street Southbound only

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M21
NYC Subway: "F" train "F" express train​ trains at Second Avenue

North of Houston Street, southbound service uses Second Avenue and northbound service uses First Avenue
First Street Northbound only

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M21
NYC Subway: "F" train "F" express train​ trains at Second Avenue

14th Street Bidirectional

NYC Bus: M14A SBS, M14D SBS, M15 Local
NYC Subway: "L" train train at First Avenue (northbound only)

23rd / 25th Streets
VA Hospital

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M9, M23 SBS, M34A SBS

28th / 29th Streets
Bellevue Hospital

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M9, M34A SBS

34th Street
NYU Langone Medical Center

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M34/M34A SBS (M34A westbound only on First Avenue)

42nd / 44th Streets
United Nations

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M42

50th Street

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M50

57th / 58th Streets

NYC Bus M15 Local, and MTA Bus: M31, M57, Q32, Q60, Q101

67th / 68th Streets

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M66

79th Street

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M79 SBS

86th Street

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M86 SBS
NYC Subway: "N" train "Q" train "R" train at 86th Street

95th / 97th Streets Metropolitan Hospital NYC Bus: M15 Local, M96
NYC Subway: "N" train "Q" train "R" train at 96th Street
106th Street

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M106

115th / 116th Streets

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M116 (at 116th Street)

125th Street

NYC Bus: M15 Local, M35, M60 SBS, M125

126th Street Northbound terminus,
southbound station

NYC Bus: M15 Local

References

  1. ^ Google (May 8, 2017). "M15" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  2. ^ MTA Regional Bus Operations. "M15 bus schedule".
  3. ^ MTA Regional Bus Operations. "M15 SBS bus schedule" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Subway and bus facts 2019". new.mta.info. April 14, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  5. ^ "MTA By the Numbers in 2023". MTA. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  6. ^ "To Speed You On Your Way..." Flickr. New York City Transit Authority. 1976. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  7. ^ "Metropolitan Briefs". The New York Times. September 13, 1976. ISSN  0362-4331. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  8. ^ "M15 Public Hearing Handout on Span of Service to City Hall" (PDF). www.laguardiawagnerarchive.lagcc.cuny.edu. New York City Transit Authority. August 27, 1987. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  9. ^ "Bus Service Notices". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. June 24, 1997. Archived from the original on July 4, 1997. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "First Avenue/Second Avenue SBS Community Advisory Committee Meeting" (PDF). nyc.gov. Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York City Department of Transportation. September 23, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  11. ^ "Bus Rapid Transit For New York City" (PDF). Schaller Consulting, Transportation Alternatives, New York Public Interest Research Group. June 2002. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  12. ^ November 2002 NYC Transit Committee Agenda. New York City Transit Authority. November 19, 2002. pp.  97, 98, 99-100.
  13. ^ "Bus Service Notice". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on April 16, 2003. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  14. ^ "Bus Rapid Transit: NYCBRT Study" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York City Department of Transportation, New York State Department of Transportation. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2005. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  15. ^ "Select Bus Service on the Bx12: A BRT Partnership Between the New York City DOT and MTA New York City Transit" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York City Department of Transportation. January 12, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  16. ^ a b "+selectbusservice M15 on First and Second Avenues: Progress Report" (PDF). nyc.gov. Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York City Department of Transportation. November 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  17. ^ "MTA Bus Company Committee Meeting Materials, July 2010" (PDF). p. 76. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
  18. ^ "Select Bus Service - First Avenue/Second Avenue" (PDF). New York City Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 4, 2010.[ dead link]
  19. ^ Grynbaum, Michael M. (October 10, 2010). "Rolling Out Speedier Bus System, to Glitches and Grumbles". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  20. ^ Chen, Jackson (January 12, 2017). "Seniors Demand Second Ave Select Bus Service at East 72nd". amNewYork. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  21. ^ Gartland, Michael (June 22, 2014). "Bus depot to become memorial for slaves found buried there". New York Post.
  22. ^ Hobbs, Allegra (February 15, 2017). "Lower East Side Needs More Select Bus Service, Locals and Officials Say". DNAinfo.
  23. ^ Krueger, Liz; Maloney, Carolyn; Quart, Dan; Seawright, Rebecca; Menin, Julie; Powers, Keith (February 16, 2022). "We write to urge the MTA to restore M15 Select Bus Service at 72nd Street" (PDF). Letter to Janno Lieber.

External links

KML is not from Wikidata
External videos
video icon SBS Bus Wrapping, Metropolitan Transportation Authority; October 12, 2010; 1:48 YouTube video clip
video icon How to Ride the M15 Select Bus Service, Metropolitan Transportation Authority; October 20, 2010; 2:10 YouTube video clip