M66 (New York City bus)

Last updated

m66
MTA Nova Bus RTS-06 - Flickr - JLaw45 (2).jpg
A 1998 Nova Bus RTS-06 (5072) on the Upper East Side-bound M66 at West 65th Street/West End Avenue. This bus is retired.
Overview
System MTA Regional Bus Operations
Operator New York City Transit Authority
Garage Michael J. Quill Depot
Vehicle New Flyer Xcelsior XD40
New Flyer Xcelsior XE40
Nova Bus LFS HEV
Began serviceFebruary 15, 1935
Route
Locale Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Communities served Upper West Side, Lincoln Square, Upper East Side, Lenox Hill
Start Upper West Side  - 66th Street & West End Avenue
Via66th Street, 67th Street (westbound)
65th Street, 68th Street (eastbound)
End Upper East Side  – 68th Street & York Avenue
Length2.1 miles (3.4 km)
Other routes M72 72nd Street Crosstown
Service
OperatesAll times except late nights
Annual patronage1,728,433 (2023) [1]
TransfersYes
Timetable M66
←  M60  {{{system_nav}}}  M72  →

The M66 constitutes a public transit line in Manhattan. Originally run by the Comprehensive Omnibus Company, it is now run by the MTA Regional Bus Operations under the New York City Transit Authority brand, running between the Upper East Side and Upper West Side as one of Manhattan's numerous crosstown bus routes.

Contents

Route description

The westbound M66 begins at 67th Street and York Avenue, travelling west on 67th Street until 5th Avenue, where it dogleg turns onto the westbound 65th Street Transverse to cross through Central Park. Westbound traffic lets out at 66th Street and Central Park West, where the M66 continues west on 66th Street until West End Avenue, where it terminates.

The eastbound M66 begins at 66th Street and West End Avenue, making two right turns to get onto East 65th Street, where it continues eastbound and through the 65th Street Transverse until Madison Avenue, where it continues north and turns to run east on 68th Street until York Avenue, where it terminates.

Along the route, there are several connections to the New York City Subway at:

The M66 is also notorious for being slow and unreliable due to travelling on narrow, heavily trafficked streets in the dense neighborhoods of the Upper West Side and Upper East Side, being tied with the M42 for the slowest buses in the city, moving at an average rate of 3.9 miles per hour in 2012 and earning an "F" ranking for 3 consecutive years from the Bus Turnaround Coalition. [2] [3]

History

A 1998 Nova Bus RTS-06 (5069) on the M66 deadheading along West Side Highway MTA Nova Bus RTS-06 - Flickr - JLaw45 (3).jpg
A 1998 Nova Bus RTS-06 (5069) on the M66 deadheading along West Side Highway

The M66 began as the Comprehensive Omnibus Company's M7 route on February 15, 1935. [4]

In July 1974, its designation was changed to the M29. In November 1987, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board approved plans to change the eastern terminal loop of the route as well as renumber the route to the M66. Under these changes, the route would change from running east on 68th Street, north on York Avenue, west on 71st Street and north on 1st Avenue to only running north on 1st Avenue after 68th Street. The terminal was also moved one block south on York Avenue from 70th Street to 69th Street. This detour was also common as vehicles often blocked East 68th Street between First and York Avenues, and eliminated two difficult turns in the process. [5] These changes took effect in March 1989. [6]

Due to a budget crisis, as part of the MTA June 27, 2010 service changes, overnight service was discontinued on the route. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M23 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Manhattan, New York

The 23rd Street Crosstown is a surface transit line on 23rd Street in Manhattan, New York City. It currently hosts the M23 SBS bus route of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s Regional Bus Operations. The M23 runs between Chelsea Piers, along the West Side Highway near 22nd Street, via 23rd Street, to Avenue C and 20th Street in Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">66th Street (Manhattan)</span> West-east street in Manhattan, New York

66th Street is a crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan with portions on the Upper East Side and Upper West Side connected across Central Park via the 66th Street transverse. West 66th Street is notable for hosting the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts between Broadway and Columbus Avenue.

The Third and Lexington Avenues Line, also known as the Third Avenue Line, is a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, running from Lower Manhattan to Fort George in Washington Heights. Originally a streetcar line, it now consists of the M98, M101, M102, and M103 bus routes, operated by the New York City Transit Authority. The M98 bus route operates on Third Avenue between East 65th Street and East 127th Street, although it previously continued to 32nd Street. The M101, M102 and M103 bus routes run southbound on Lexington Avenue north of East 24th Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M10 and M20 buses</span> Bus routes in Manhattan, New York

The Eighth Avenue Line is a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, running mostly along Eighth Avenue from Lower Manhattan to Harlem. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the M10 bus route and the M20 bus route, operated by the New York City Transit Authority. The M10 bus now only runs north of 57th Street, and the M20 runs south of 66th Street. The whole line was a single route, the M10, until 2000 when the M20 was created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M8 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Manhattan, New York

The Eighth and Ninth Streets Crosstown is a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, running mostly along Eighth Street, Ninth Street, Tenth Street, and Christopher Street through the West Village, Greenwich Village, and East Village. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the M8 bus route, operated by the New York City Transit Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M14 (New York City bus)</span> Bus routes in Manhattan, New York

The 14th Street Crosstown Line is a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, running primarily along 14th Street from Chelsea or the West Village to the Lower East Side. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the M14 bus route, operated by the New York City Transit Authority. The line's two variants, the M14A SBS and M14D SBS, use Avenue A and Avenue D respectively from 14th Street south into the Lower East Side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M9 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Manhattan, New York

The M9 is a local bus route that operates along the Avenue C Line, in Manhattan, New York City. The M9 and M21 are operated by the New York City Transit Authority, and based out of the Michael J. Quill Depot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M21 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Manhattan, New York

The M21 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City. The M21 operates between the West Village and the Lower East Side, serving as a Houston Street crosstown. The M9 and M21 are operated by the New York City Transit Authority, and based out of the Michael J. Quill Depot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M22 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Manhattan, New York

The M22 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City. The M22 operates between Battery Park City and the Lower East Side, serving as a crosstown route along Madison Street and Chambers Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M50 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Manhattan, New York

The M50 is a public transit line in Manhattan, running primarily along 49th and 50th Streets in Midtown Manhattan. Originally a private bus line started by Green Bus Lines in 1933, it is currently operated by the MTA Regional Bus Operations under the New York City Transit Authority brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M72 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Manhattan, New York

The M72 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Manhattan, running crosstown on 72nd Street from the Upper East Side to the Upper West Side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M116 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Manhattan, New York

The 116th Street Line is a public transit line in Manhattan, running mostly along 116th Street. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the M116 bus route operated by the New York City Transit Authority, operating between the Upper West Side and East Harlem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bx35 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in New York City

The 167th Street Crosstown Line is a public transit line in Manhattan and the Bronx, running primarily along 167th and 169th Streets in the Bronx. Originally a streetcar line,it is now the Bx35 bus route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M86 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Manhattan, New York

The 86th Street Crosstown Line is a bus line in Manhattan, New York City, running mostly along 86th Street on the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. Originally a streetcar line, it now comprises the M86 Select Bus Service bus line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M79 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Manhattan, New York

The M79 Select Bus Service, formerly the 79th Street Crosstown Line, is a bus line in Manhattan, New York City, running mostly along 79th Street on the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. The route was previously owned by the private Green Bus Lines, and is now operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations under the New York City Transit Authority brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M34 and M34A buses</span> Bus routes in Manhattan, New York

The 34th Street Crosstown Line is a surface transit line on 34th Street in Manhattan, New York City, United States. It currently hosts the M34/M34A SBS routes of MTA's Regional Bus Operations. The M34 runs from 12th Avenue to FDR Drive via 34th Street, while the M34A runs from Port Authority Bus Terminal to Waterside Plaza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M31 and M57 buses</span> Bus routes in Manhattan, New York

The M31 and M57 bus routes constitute the 57th Street Crosstown Line, a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, running primarily along 57th Street. The M31 runs between 11th Avenue and 54th Street in Hell's Kitchen to 1st Avenue and 92nd Street in Yorkville. The M57 runs from 72nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue in the Upper West Side to Sutton Place and 57th Street in Sutton Place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bx6 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in New York City

The Bx6 is a public transit line in New York City running along the 163rd Street Crosstown Line, within the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M96 and M106 buses</span> Bus routes in Manhattan, New York

The M96 and M106 constitute a pair of bus routes in Manhattan, running between Upper West Side and primarily on West 96th Street and East 96th Street to the Upper East Side or East 106th Street to East Harlem.

References

  1. ↑ "Subway and bus ridership for 2023". mta.info. April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  2. ↑ "NYPIRG STRAPHANGERS CAMPAIGN TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES News Released" (PDF). MTA. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  3. ↑ "M66". MTA. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Crosstown Buses Start on 65th St". The New York Times. February 16, 1935. p. 15. Archived from the original on July 22, 2018.
  5. ↑ NYC Transit Committee Agenda October 1987. New York City Transit. November 13, 1987. pp. K-4.
  6. ↑ Manhattan Bus Map. New York City Transit Authority. 1989.
  7. ↑ 2010 budget crisis information, archived February 25, 2011
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.