New Select Service M60 Bus Line Launches

The M60 bus has been known to travel as slow as three miles per hour. But the New York City Department of Transportation just launched the new M60 Select Service Bus and bus only lane. That's expected to cut travel time as much as 20 percent and eliminating 9 stops.

New York State Senator Adriano Espaillat is a leader in transportation issues in Harlem. He says that the new bus service would help bring relief to many New Yorkers.

"That's critical for a mom who's taking her child to baby sitting services, or someone who just trying to get to work on time," Senator Espaillat said at a press conference Tuesday. "Little things that may seem small but are so important."

The new line comes after years of planning and over 50 community meetings, discussions having started in 2011. Initially, there was some backlash from community members to the new bus line. But Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg hopes that as the benefits of the new bus line present themselves, there will be more community support.

"Once people start using this and really start seeing the benefits," Commissioner Trottenberg said, "you're going to start getting the support and people asking and clamoring for more."

This initial backlash is part of the reason that the new bus only line does not extend past Lenox Avenue. Councilman Mark Levine thinks this is a diservice to West Harlem.

"Right now, buses coming from the west side of Harlem will crawl through traffic until they hit Lenox, when they'll speed up. And that's simply not fair to people in the western part of this wonderful street"

He and other officals hope that with more community support, the line will be extended to go the entire length of 125th street.

The M60 is the seventh Select Service Line. Others include the BX12 in the Bronx,  the S79 on Staten Island, and the M34 in Manhattan. Mayor De Blasio wants to bring a total of twenty lines to key areas of the city. The Department of Transportation says planning for new bus lines has already begun in Woodhaven and Jamaica, Queens.