Limited-Stop Bus Service at New York City Transit

Improving the speed and reliability of high-volume urban bus service is an important transit planning objective. One means of increasing travel speed is to provide a limited-stop bus service component on heavily patronized local bus routes. This paper explores the characteristics of limited-stop bus service and the experiences of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)/New York City (NYC) Transit with this type of service. It also describes the key issues, factors, and customer response associated with this service strategy. Based on changing ridership patterns, customer perceptions, traffic conditions, and scheduling efficiency, limited-stop service has been a very effective tool for NYC Transit in offering better service from the perspective of customers and operations. Over the coming years, NYC Transit expects to increase the presence of limited-stop service where it makes sense, both in terms of the span and frequency of existing limited-stop service, as well as its expansion to routes that currently offer local service only.