First real week taking the M86 west from York to West End, and I already messed up twice. I get on a bus signed 86 St Crosstown because that's what the stop said, but then it just stopped at Central Park West and the operator announced last stop. I walked the rest, fine, but am I missing something? Do some buses only run to the park? How do you know which one actually goes all the way to West End before you step on? The side sign said 86th Street, not 'short turn.' Am I supposed to ask the driver every time? This is not in the app clearly for me.

Yep, the M86 is the king of silent short-turns. If the front destination sign says 86 St / Central Pk W or sometimes just 'Short Turn,' that bus is not crossing to the West Side. Don't trust the side sign, it's useless. The full buses usually say 86 St / West End or 86 St Crosstown West End. Same with M79 sometimes. If you're at York, you might watch two CPW short-turns before a West End. The trick is front sign, maybe BusTime will show '86 St/CPW' but not always. If you need the west side fast, just take it to CPW and walk the transverse—it's not far.

Wait, so the side sign doesn't update? I just started using M86 crosstown and got caught at Madison once. I thought if the sign said 86 St Crosstown, it went crosstown. Where do you even see the short-turn info? On the bus tracker, it often shows the route but not destination. I'm new to this, thanks for the tip. Do drivers mind if you ask 'you going to West End?' quick before stepping up? I've seen people do it but felt bad holding the line.

They don't mind if you make it quick. Better to ask than end up on the sidewalk at CPW with wet shoes. From the east side, just look at the front sign. '86 St CPW' is the kiss of death. BusTime sometimes has the real destination after the run starts, but sometimes not. Honestly if I'm around Lex and the bus says CPW, I wait. If the next one is more than 8-10 min, I take the B/C or just walk from 5th to CPW; at 86 the transverse is pretty chill in the morning unless it's raining.

Thanks everyone, this is exactly what I needed. Tried it today: first bus at York said 86 St CPW on the front, so I skipped it. Second bus seven minutes later said 86 St West End. Rode all the way through, no problem. I never noticed the front sign before because I always look at the side or my phone. Is the short-turn pattern mostly a morning rush thing or does it happen all day? Also, do they ever turn at 5th before CPW? Swear I saw one do that.

Short-turning at CPW is an operational choice, not a mistake. The M86 is a long crosstown with multiple chokepoints: the York Avenue start, the Central Park transverse, and the West End/Columbus end. When westbound trips bunch or fall behind, the MTA can short-turn selected buses at CPW to reset spacing. That keeps east side service from becoming three buses in a row while the west side waits, though it doesn't always feel that way from the curb. This is more common during the peak, but you'll see midday and evening short-turns as well, especially after a disabled bus or a bad traffic hour on 86th.

The front destination sign is your best real-time clue. The side signs and BusTime often still show the original crosstown run because the short-turn is assigned after the bus is already in service. I have seen the app catch up eventually, but you can't rely on it from the stop. If you need the West Side, skip anything that says 86 St / CPW, Central Park West, or just Short Turn. If you're heading to the B/C or don't mind walking the 86th Street transverse, a CPW short-turn is fine.

Some drivers announce it, some don't. I don't blame them; they've got enough going on. A quick 'West End?' while stepping up is acceptable if the sign is ambiguous. For what it's worth, I've also seen a few trips turn at 5th when the transverse is blocked or a supervisor asks for it, but CPW is the standard terminal. The M86 is too important to treat as predictable.

Good point financial_district_f about short-turns being a tool, but it still feels personal when you watch a West End bus vanish from BusTime and the next thing is a CPW short-turn. I used to stand at York and chase whatever came first. Now I just look at the front sign. If I see CPW and the B/C is close, I'm on it and transferring at CPW. On a nice day, walking from CPW to Columbus is nothing. But if I'm carrying groceries from the east side, I'll wait for the real West End bus. The other hack: check the M86 bus stop poles? Not helpful. Half the time the route map shows West End even for short-turns. It's all in the front sign.

Okay, new here. Does the MTA app show '86 St/CPW' as the destination on the map view if a bus is short-turning? I opened it yesterday and the little vehicle bubble said 'M86 to 86 St/West End' but then it stopped at CPW anyway. Maybe I misread? Also, can I use a short-turned bus to get to Central Park's 86th St transverse? I've never walked that path; is it lit in the morning? I'm still learning the bus moves. Thanks.

metro_area_matt, the app can be wrong on short-turns. I've seen it say West End on the map and the bus flips to CPW when it gets close. You can use the CPW short-turn to reach the 86th St transverse, but the bus ends at CPW, so you'd walk across the park westbound on the path. It's lit and not sketchy during commuting hours, just cold. Or hop the B/C at CPW if you're heading further down the UWS. But if you're truly going to West End or Riverside, don't ride the CPW bus. Let it go and wait for the front sign that says West End.