Emergency measures immediately created a bus rapid transit corridor through Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan that before existed only in transit planners' dreams. NYC Transit express buses share an exclusive right-of-way with emergency vehicles in one eastbound lane from the beginning of the Staten Island Expressway at the Goethals Bridge over the Verrazano Bridge, along the Gowanus Expressway HOV lane, through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and up the FDR Drive to Houston Street. This route is normally the least preferred by Staten Island commuters because express buses are regularly stuck in SIE stop-and-go traffic and delayed on the clogged Gowanus HOV lane, which is open to cars with two or more passengers. Under the new rules last week, bus drivers reported "flying" into Manhattan at speeds that one transit official told the SI Advance reduced trip times by as much as 45 minutes. 

On the New Jersey side, the Port Authority opened the Manhattan-bound Lincoln Tunnel bus-only lane one-half hour earlier than usual, at 5:45 a.m., and are reportedly considering greater expansion if necessary. The agency expects to open the Holland Tunnel to transit buses and emergency vehicles as early as Monday morning, offering another rapid transit route to commuters who leave their car at home.

The Tri-State Campaign has urged the NY State DOT to study the bus-only operation on the Gowanus, with a view toward increasing the HOV lane's access standard permanently. The Campaign has also urged the Port Authority to impose some HOV restrictions on passengers cars using the Lincoln Tunnel, to further meter the traffic clogging Manhattan.

Groups Call for Gowanus Bus Lane
- But Cars Still Official Technology of NYSDOT - August 20, 1999
 

NYC Express Bus Ridership Booms 
 - Groups Renew Call for I-278 Busway -  April 21, 2000
 

NY State Says Staten Island Bus-way Likely - May 29, 2000
 

Officials Call for Common Sense Steps to Alleviate Staten Island Bus Crunch - July 30, 2001
 
 
 
 
 

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