the Lincoln Tunnel’s Exclusive Bus Lane is a smash success. In the 3.75 hours it’s open each morning, it carries 62,000 passengers into Midtown, saving each of them 15-20 minutes over drivers in other lanes.
That comes to about $125 million a year counting just time saved at $20/hr wages. Add in shift in energy use, a bit of multiplier, the dedicated lanes likely yield $250 million in value/per year.
A solution for the Queensboro Bridge
Start with a single reversible, dedicated bus line across the bridge meridian. Shoot buses through the bridge at 60 MPH average speed, 80 MPH top speed. Even using reversible lanes, the buses will shave 15 minutes a day for 20,000 passengers. The actual lane cost is low, and with narrow lane guidance, it is likely cars may not suffer lane reduction. Though likely to yield another $100 million/year in value to NYC, the actual lane cost is trivial, likely close to $8 million (not including bus stops or bus queue lanes)
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