Fifteen stops along one of the busiest routes in Manhattan will soon have countdown clocks alerting riders to the time before the next bus arrives. The westbound M66, M79, M86, and M96 transport more than 70,000 riders each every weekday. The countdown clock will also be installed for the southbound M31.
Riders can already get text alerts thanks to Bus Time which uses GPS tracking to identify a bus’s exact location leaving some citizens wondering if the new countdown clocks are the best use of funds.
Councilman Ben Kallos pointed out that “people from all over the district voted for bus clocks. It was something that they wanted and there was a need for,” and it’s a better option for riders who aren’t tech-savy or riders who want to make a split decision between the bus and the subway.
There’s no date yet for installation, although project funding will be in this month’s city budget.