Kinks Mar Debut of Speedy Bus

By [Dan Rivoli] At the start of evening rush hour the day after Select Bus Service launched on the East Side, there were grumbles from those waiting at the East 79th Street stop on Second Avenue. Four people left the crowded Select Bus Service stop and hailed a cab. For those that stayed, they rode a bus designed to be faster than a regular bus and ease crowding on the Lexington Avenue subway line. But problems left riders agitated at the new service, while others were optimistic that Select Bus Service, which runs from 125th Street to the South Ferry, would be a success. Much of the delays were due to customer confusion about buying tickets outside of the bus at kiosks. Rather than dip a MetroCard or change inside, machines are stationed next to the bus stop where people pay the fare and get a slip of paper as proof. This is meant to allow people to board the bus more quickly, rather than wait for the person in front of them to pay. There were MTA employees stationed outside the booths to show confused riders how the new fare system works, which created delays. â??It"s dumb, opined Kyla Ocain inside the bus. She found the bus-stop fare-collecting system confusing. â??Yeah, this is faster, she said sarcastically while the bus idled. Another frequent bus rider, Natalie, complained about the potential â??clutter from the paper slips that show a paid fare. â??It"s an extra piece of paper for people to throw out, she said. Despite the griping, there were bus riders that wanted to wait before judging Select Bus Service as a failure. Chris Ward, who uses the bus several times a week to get to an internship, believes riders need to get acclimated to the new system. Much of the hold-up, he said, came from riders asking the bus driver questions. â??It"s definitely got a lot of potential, Ward said. One of the key components to faster bus service is the dedicated bus-only lanes. But during evening rush hour, cabs, cars and delivery trucks used the brick-red-painted bus lanes to park and unload. Anthony Bibus, an Upper East Side resident, said the bus driver had to pull out of the bus-only lane because of misuse by others. Still, Bibus shaved off time on his commute. â??I saved 10 minutes in the morning at 9 a.m. and I saved about 20 minutes coming home, Bibus said, looking at his watch.