Transit officials say the new select bus service on the BX12 route has cut travel time by 20 percent.

A trip from end to end that once took close to an hour is now about 12 minutes shorter.

The program implemented at the end of June allows buses to drive in red painted lanes along Fordham Road and Pelham Parkway that are off limits to other vehicles.

Buses are equipped with sensors that enable traffic signals to stay green and riders buy tickets at curbside machines to speed up the boarding process.

There are plans to bring Select Bus Service to First and Second Avenues in Manhattan in 2010, and Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn in 2012.