There are few things more discouraging than seeing your bus pull away from your stop, just as you're crossing the street. There's no way of knowing when the next one will come, and you're now working yourself into a mild panic about getting to work on time and/or going numb from that bone-chilling New York wind. Thankfully, the MTA has launched the Bus Time program that will likely eliminate all these (totally first-world) problems.
The MTA has added GPS tracking on all 5,700 of its buses, which will allow for real-time location tracking through an online map, smartphone apps, and even text messages. Even if you don't have a smartphone, you can text the Bus Time number and receive a response indicating how far away your bus is. The program will cover 150 routes and 6,000 bus stops, and it's going to make your life so much easier.
Bus Time is currently running on Staten Island, the Bronx, and a few Brooklyn and Queens lines, but you can expect it to launch in Manhattan over the next six months. Here's to fewer mornings spent shivering on the curb, and maybe even an extra ten minutes of sleep. (Wall Street Journal)