NEW BUS LINES ON A FAST TRACK

 It's like a rubber-wheeled subway. The MTA and the city are planning four new rapid bus lines on which passengers will pay for their rides before boarding and the coaches will use police-enforced lanes.

"It's basically running a subway on rubber tires. It doesn't have all the advantages, but it does provide a lot quicker ride said Bill Henderson, of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA". Straphangers will fork over the fare before the bus even arrives by inserting their MetroCard into a machine similar to the muni-meter and getting a time-stamped receipt. "That way, you can board on every door," Henderson said. The lines are part of a $7.2 million effort to speed up commutes for millions of riders along some of the busiest routes.