Bunch of bus woes

NEW YORK CITY’S bus service doesn’t make the grade.

Rider advocacy groups slapped the MTA and DOT with poor grades in a study to be released Monday about slow-moving improvements to the city’s bus service.

The Bus Turnaround Coalition’s survey claims scheduling problems are largely because city buses often arrive in bunches — when at least two buses arrive at the same time on the same route. The MTA got an F in that area. The route where buses arrive in bunches most frequently is the M1, which runs from the East Village to Harlem — with an average speed under 5 mph, advocates said.

One of six buses arrives in bunches on that route, according to the Bus Turnaround Coalition.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation got a D-plus despite trying to make streets better for buses.

The survey found that Select Bus Service routes (photo), where riders pay on streetside machines, and which feature some bus lanes, do boost bus speeds by up to 30%.

But new Select Bus Service routes can take years to plan and implement, and there’s no guarantee they won’t struggle with traffic, even with dedicated lanes.

While the agency is planning to add 9 miles of new bus lanes this year, transit advocates say that’s still inadequate.

Officials counter that the DOT and MTA are launching initiatives that will help riders.

“DOT and the MTA have been working together in partnership to improve bus service,” said Austin Finan, a spokesman for de Blasio.

MTA spokeswoman Amanda Kwan said the agency is using GPS technology to track buses’ locations — so officials can plan better and avoid bunching.

“The MTA is committed to improving bus service citywide and has implemented a toolbox of best practices to speed riders and improve the customer experience,” she said in a statement.