This NYC Bus Route Just Won an Award for Being the Slowest in Town

Its average speed is 4.6 mph.

Riders of NYC's M102 bus line might be surprised to learn that their commute is an award-winning one. 

Running from the East Village all the way to Harlem at an average speed of 4.6 mph, the M102 has officially been named the slowest high-ridership bus in the city, the New York Public Interest Research Group's Straphangers Campaign and TransitCenter decided.

On Monday, August 8, transit advocates awarded the line with the 17th Annual Pokey Award, which features a golden snail on a pedestal. During the award ceremony, NYPIRG and TransitCenter pointed out that the bus moves even slower than a fluttering butterfly, the speed of which is typically 5 mph.

"For years, the M102 has been on the list of slowest buses in New York City, so this year's Pokey Award should come as no surprise," NYPIRG Program Director Megan Ahearn said in an official statement. "With buses maintaining higher ridership levels throughout the pandemic, the city's transit leadership should be rolling out the red carpet for riders by enforcing bus lanes and opening all doors for boarding."

The line's slowpoke pace can be blamed on a multitude of factors, including a high-traffic route and NYC's heavy congestion problems.

"The M102 and many other New York City buses are devastatingly slow, but we know that dedicated bus lanes, all-door boarding, and congestion pricing will speed them up," Ashley Pryce, TransitCenter Senior Advocacy Associate, said in an official statement. "Hundreds of thousands of riders rely on New York City buses every day, and they need the MTA, the City, and the Governor to enact these solutions."

Transit advocates awarded the silver medal to the Bx19 line (4.8 mph), which connects New York Botanical Garden, the Bronx, and Riverbank Park. In third place, instead, the ranking found the B35 line between Brownsville and Sunset Park in Brooklyn with an average of 5.1 mph.

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Serena Tara is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.