Okay, I’ve been running a totally unscientific experiment over the last few weeks because my commute from Yorkville to the Penn Station area has become a special circle of MTA hell. I’ve tried the M31, M42, and M50 at 5:30pm on weekdays. The M31 is useless now — bunched, packed, and stuck behind every double-parked SUV on 57th. The M42 is okay until you hit Times Square, then it’s just a metal box full of tourists staring at their phones while the block between 8th and 7th takes nine minutes. But the M50? The M50 at 49th/50th actually moved! It doesn’t have that same stop-and-creep vibe, and it cuts through less of the 42nd St nightmare. Has anyone else actually compared these? What’s your go-to east-west bus below Central Park after 5pm? I need data, I need war stories, I need validation that I’m not the only one yelling at the M31 tracker!

Wait, I just moved to Sutton Place and I’ve been taking the M15 up and down, but I didn’t know the crosstown buses were this bad. Is the M50 really that much better? I tried the M31 once and it took like 30 minutes to go from York to Lex. Is that normal? Also do all these buses have OMNY readers or do I still need a MetroCard? I keep seeing people just wave phones and I don’t want to hold everyone up.

Been around. M31’s always been unreliable since lane enforcement fell off. M50’s the sleeper, but good luck catching one when you need it — headways are trash after 6. M42’s only worth it west of 8th. If you’re going to Penn, honestly, walk from Lex to 8th or just take the 7 to Hudson Yards and walk. I know, walking isn’t the answer anyone wants. But the crosstowns are all a gamble. Never trust the countdown clocks on 50th.

Just_landed_li, welcome. Yes, OMNY is on all of them, but the readers on the M42 have been flaky in my experience. I’ve done the M31 from York to 5th a lot and it’s fine before 4:30, but after 5 it’s a slow crawl. M50 is better but less frequent. One thing: if you’re near Sutton, consider the M57? It’s just as jammed but at least the crowd is less tourist-heavy. Honestly, none of them move during the Fifth Ave gridlock. I’ve started using Citibike because it’s faster than all three.

Woodhaven_W, you’re so right about the 7 to Hudson Yards! I tried that one day when the M50 never came, and I got from Grand Central to Hudson Yards in 14 minutes. But the walk from Hudson Yards to Penn still eats up time. Flatbush_F, Citibike from Sutton to Penn in rush hour? You’re braver than me — those 50s streets are a bumper car rink. Have you tried the M50’s weird skip-stop thing after 5:30? I swear some runs go from 1st to 8th with no stops in the 40s? Am I hallucinating? Also, is the bus lane on 50th actually camera-enforced, or is it just decorative like the M31’s?

Thanks for the tips! I tried the M50 today after work and it was definitely faster, but I think I got lucky because there was no bus lane blocking. I saw a cop car sitting in the lane on 50th and nobody did anything. Is that normal? Also does anyone know if the M50 runs more often after 6:30? The schedule at the stop was stamped 2019. I still haven’t figured out the OMNY reader positioning — I keep waving the wrong spot.

The M50 schedule has been fictional since before the pandemic. Don’t trust the printed sheet. The cop car in the bus lane is basically part of the streetscape at this point. What kills me is the M31 has the new bus lane cameras but the city won’t enforce the stretch near Bloomingdale’s because of loading docks. GG, the skip-stop thing is real but not official — drivers do it when they’re late to make up time. You’re not hallucinating. If you’re going to Penn and the 7 is an option, just take that and walk the two blocks. The only crosstown bus I’ll defend is the M50 westbound before 5.

Woodhaven, the M50 westbound before 5 is solid, but eastbound after 7 is the one that sneaks up on you — it’s empty and you can actually get a seat. I’ve abandoned the M31 entirely unless I see one pulling up and I’m too tired to bike. GG, I only Citibike on the 50s if I can stay in the protected lane; otherwise I weave and pray. Just_landed_li, keep tapping the wide part of the OMNY reader, not the screen. The real problem is the bus stops are so close together on 42nd that you can’t get any momentum. M50 stops every two blocks too, but the lights are timed better.

The light timing on 50th is the whole game! I’ve noticed if you hit a green at 3rd Ave, you can ride a wave to 7th, but if you get red at Lex, forget it. Has anyone tried walking to the M50 stop at 2nd Ave instead of 1st? You skip the worst of the York Ave crawl. Woodhaven_W, re: Bloomingdale’s loading docks — why are we still letting delivery trucks block the M31 lane during the busiest hour? I wrote to the DOT and got a generic response about an ‘ongoing enforcement study.’ I’m ready to start a log of every truck in the lane, I swear. We need a real lane camera on 57th between 3rd and Lex!

Okay, I tried the 2nd Ave M50 tip yesterday after reading this and it actually worked! I got a seat and we didn’t get stuck until 6th Ave. But then a delivery truck was parked in the right lane so the bus couldn’t pull over, and we had to wait while a garbage truck passed. Is that just every block? I also saw someone get on through the back door without paying and the driver didn’t say anything. Is that normal now? I’m still learning what I can ignore.

Back-door boarding is standard these days, don’t worry about it. The delivery truck thing — yes, every block. The only reason the M50 moves is the blocks are shorter and there’s less hotel traffic. I’ve started budgeting for a cab once a week because some days the buses just aren’t coming. Actually, have you tried the M34A? It’s a different route, but if you’re east of Park and need to get to Javits, it can be less of a mess than the M42. If you see an M50, get on. If you see an M31, lower your expectations.

This whole thread is why I moved my office hours to start at 8 and leave by 4. The crosstown buses are fine until about 4:15, then the switch flips. GG, your DOT log might be the only thing that gets the 57th St lane fixed — send it to your council member too. For everyone else: M50 if you can catch it, 7 train for the far west, Citibike if you don’t mind the horn show. Going east after 7 is weirdly bearable on the M31. I’m not mad, just tired.