Bus-only lanes not only speed up commutes for bus riders, but deployed at scale, can make transit more efficient and make everyone?s rider quicker and faster. | Shutterstock

New York?s 14th Street Busway demonstrates a virtuous cycle: more riders, fewer cars on the street, and an improved commute for all It was supposed to lead to a ?carpocolypse.? The 14th Street Busway, a long-delayed pilot program in New York City to expedite service by creating bus-only lanes on a major east-west street in the lower half of Manhattan, was predicted to be a disaster for drivers.
Ever since the new thoroughfare was opened in mid-October, with red paint clearly marking lanes as bus-only, reports have shown that the new busway not only met its goal of making bus travel faster?9.7 minutes for the entire route, according to a city analysis released in December?but it also had minimal impact on car trips. Surrounding streets saw trips increase by 3.5 minutes at most. The 14th Street Busway in New York City is a great case study in why drivers shouldn?t fight funding for transit?but should support it for their own good. Traditionally, transportation politics at a local level has been viewed as a zero-sum game; giving space to cyclists or other car-free means of transportation results in less room for drivers and longer trips, which many believe will bring more painful commutes.
But the Busway?s early success suggests that?s the wrong framework for evaluation. Investing in better transit...