Streetsblog New York City

Physical separation is the best solution, not only to protect bus lanes, but to protect bike lanes and peds as well. I'd welcome some learned commentary on the kinds that would work best.

That's a good point, Streetsman. Instead of people saying "I got stuck waiting in construction because they were putting up these barriers for some crazy bus system," people are saying "look at all those cars parked in the bus lane slowing down a bus full of people."

In the short run, you're right Josh, people will get annoyed of and blame the construction for their tardiness. But, it's highly unlikely that they will actually notice the cars taking up the bus lane and realize it's blocking a bus full of people like you say. That is a thought reserved for mostly people who visit this site- if everyone else thought like that we would not be discussing this issue right now.

The only way for things to change is to *do something*. In this case, pissing people off for a while and getting some permanently separated lanes.

As for what kind would be best: not bollards. A little curb like the one in the picture seems most effective and aesthetically pleasing.

Another question: are the bus lanes in Amsterdam and the surrounding area physically separated? I can't remember, but if they aren't, how do they work so well? If they are, another case in point.

At least one lane in the city should be allocated for cars, . . . i.e., for paintball target practice.

The pittsburgh contraflow bus lanes have the same problem.

Think of it more as a two-way street with one side only being for bikes and buses. MPLS has these downtown and they work well with a bike lane right next to them.

How do you make deliveries across a permanent barrier? Is the idea to move the bus lane in-board of the parking lane like the 9th Ave cycle-track? That entails eliminating a lane of traffic. Trucks and service vehicles still need access to the curb. What's the scheme for getting deliveries on Fordham Road if there is a physical barrier? (Mountable curbs and off-peak deliveries and peak hour only fast bus?) Has anyone worked through this?

I'd say NYPD and FDNY would certainly be free to use the bus lanes in emergency situations, but we all know that for NYPD "emergency situation" means "I don't feel like waiting at this red light."

how does it cost so much to have seperation? just take those cheap concrete wheel stops used in parking lots and place them end to end along the edge of the lane (where the striping is). you just need 2 pieces of rebar and a sledgehammer to drive them through the pavement. there can even be a 4 or 5ft gap between the placement of the small concrete blocks. even just something simple like this is enough to clearly distinguish between bus lanes and general lanes.