M23, M1 Buses Singled Out As ‘Pokey’ and ‘Schleppie’

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

The M23 bus, which runs along 23rd Street between Peter Cooper Village and Chelsea Piers, and the M1, which travels between South Ferry and Harlem mostly along Fifth, Madison, and Park avenues, have received dubious honors: the “Pokey” and “Schleppie” awards. The Straphangers Campaign and Transportation Alternatives yesterday named them as New York City’s slowest and least reliable buses, respectively.

The Straphangers Campaign, which is part of the New York Public Interest Research Group, and Transportation Alternatives, a group that advocates walking, biking, and public transit, found that the M23 traveled at 4 miles an hour at noon on a weekday, as clocked by their volunteers. One-third of the M1’s buses have big gaps in service or are off schedule, the groups said in a statement.

Other bus routes that were noted for slow speeds include the B 63 inBrooklyn, the Bx19 in the Bronx, the Q56 in Queens, and the S61 in Staten Island.

Some advocates are looking to Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC as a solution. Under Mr. Bloomberg’s plan, New York City would be set to buy 367 new buses and add express bus and Bus Rapid Transit routes. Some traffic-reducing strategies being considered include wider bus lanes and expanded hours of operation.

The executive director of Transportation Alternatives, Paul Steely White, said the plan would “yield faster and more reliable bus service if it is allowed to move forward.”


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use