The number of chronically unreliable city buses jumped 68 percent in the past year, according to a new study.
There are now 32 major MTA bus routes that regularly operate with notable gaps in service, making it impossible for riders to plan their commutes, according to the Straphangers Campaign, which released its annual Pokey Awards Tuesday.
That number is up from last year, when only 19 bus routes were deemed chronically unreliable.
“Their unhappy subjects, the riders, must endure the tyranny of frequent and long waits, followed by a parade of buses that pass by in bunches, like a herd of lumbering elephants,” said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives.
The buses most commonly bunched up are the M1, which runs from the East Village to Harlem, and the combined M101, M102 and M103. The study says 37 percent of those buses do not arrive on time.
The awards also track the city’s slowest buses. This year, the distinction went to the M66 crosstown bus, which travels at an average glacial 3.1 mph.
The most glaring reason for the shambling buses is the growing congestion, said White.
“The congestion around the city keeps creeping up, and it is causing problems,” he said.
MTA officials said they are working on ways to get buses moving faster, but it’s going to take cooperation from the city.
“We are continuing to work with the New York City Department of Transportation to increase the number of bus lanes and locations where buses would have traffic signal priority, further improving bus speeds,” said spokesman Adam Lisberg.