Bus riding, the best-kept secret of NYC transit

When I lived in NYC I sometimes had to take the bus downtown from 86th street due to interruptions in subway traffic (which sometimes happened). I remember that during rush hour the buses would advance at a crawling speed there, maybe making three blocks every 5 minutes, which almost made it faster to walk.

So I think the big advantage of the subway system is that it is much faster in general. In less densely populated areas of New York the buses are a good (and necessary) alternative to the subway system since -as the author points out- the density of bus stops is much higher.

Does Google Maps have transit coverage of NYC?

I used to know the tube map by heart, but I'm starting to forget - checking Google every time is faster and more reliable (since it takes into account e.g. engineering closures).

They're far from a secret imho. Maybe I'm wrong but every one I ride is usually packed unless it's an odd hour. Also, to get to some places you'll pretty much need to ride a bus if you want to get there easily. La Guardia springs to mind. And if you're in Manhattan the cross-town buses can basically be an essential part of life.

But I agree with this article 100%. If you live or travel a lot in NYC learn the bus system, it will only help you.

One of the numbers missing between the subway and the bus are the waiting times, the transit times and bus cancellations. What is the use of bus having more routes if it takes much longer to get there.

Nevertheless, interesting use of data.