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Select Bus Service Begins On 34th Street To Bring Relief

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - Regular bus riders on the 34th Street corridor will attest to the fact that this is one of the busiest, slowest lines.

WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs On The Story

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"First of all, the buses are much slower coming because I guess budget cuts there aren't as many and they're always very, very crowded," said one straphanger.

But now the new 34th Street Select Bus service should change that, speeding things up by, among other things, allowing riders to purchase tickets ahead of boarding at a kiosk.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg was on hand to launch the service Monday morning.

"Mass transit is the life blood of our city and we just got to make sure that  it continues to work," he said. "Service gets better. People use mass transit. That frees the streets and helps the economy."

"By having the bus move faster than a tricycle, which was the last competition that they had on 34th Street. We can do better than that," said NYC transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.

Buses on this corridor carry more than 33,000 riders every day and it's hoped this new service will speed things up by about 20 percent.

Have you got a complaint about a crosstown street? Sound off in the comments section below!

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