As these photographs show, the Transitway's bus lanes will often be tied up, actually SLOWING commuting times! Currently, postal trucks, EMS ambulances, fire trucks and sanitation vehicles frequently block 34th Street’s bus lanes as they provide essential services, forcing buses into regular traffic lanes. When the Transitway locks buses behind concrete barriers, expect cross-town tie-ups as buses turn slowly around vehicles blocking their path – including stalled buses, a familiar sight on 34th Street – and confront oncoming buses.
And when it snows? Expect these problems to be compounded by snow piles!
And during emergencies? Expect conflicts between buses and emergency vehicles that can compromise safety! (How will fire trucks, as shown below, cross the Transitway’s barriers when they arrive from opposite sides of 34th Street?)
