Transit watchdog groups announced their annual Pokey Awards Tuesday, with the Golden Snail trophy for the slowest bus route in the city going to the M14A.The Straphangers Campaign and Transportation Alternatives presented the awards for the fifth year in a row.The M14A was named the slowest route in the city, taking the title from the M34, which won last year and finished second this year.The M14 runs along 14th Street and goes crosstown between Avenue A and the West Village, at an average speed of 3.9 miles per hour. That time was recorded at midday. The average speed of a pedestrian is three miles per hour.M14A riders say that is pretty accurate."It is way slower than the 14D. The 14D ends up coming much faster than the 14A," said one rider."The 14A is slower every day and I have to take it. And then that makes me late for school," added another."The 14A bus is one of the slowest buses," said a third. "It takes forever to travel, and it comes once every 20 minutes, once every half an hour.""This is all the time, every day is a wait," said a fourth. "It's a hassle because there will be a bunch of people at the bus stop and the buses don't come, so they have to walk from wherever they're at to Avenue D to take the bus."Broken down by borough, the B35 earned the Brooklyn Pokey. The BX19 earned the Bronx trophy. The Q56 in Queens and the S42 on Staten Island also made the list. The survey was conducted by riding the 23 bus routes found to be the slowest last year.In the new category, "the unreliables," the M1 was rated "most unreliable route" in the city. More than a quarter of its buses arrive irregularly, bunch up, have long waits or are off-schedule. In that category, New York City Transit's own service statistics were used.Riders' advocates say there are several ways to speed up matters, such as wider lanes, paying your fare before you board, and longer bus stops.The MTA issued a response saying, "the bus routes cited by the Straphangers' report as the slowest in the city, along with many others, operate in conditions of severe traffic congestion. Slow and unreliable bus service is very much a product of the city's vibrancy."Meanwhile, five new bus routes are scheduled to be tested as part of the city's Bus Rapid Transit program in an effort to speed up service along some of the city's busiest routes.Created by the MTA and the city and state Departments of Transportation, an express route with fewer stops will be tested in each borough, starting with at least two routes by fall of next year, although the city isn't saying which ones.The New York Times reports that when it's all done, the routes will include: in Manhattan, service on First and Second Avenues, on Staten Island, Hylan Boulevard, running across the Verrazano Bridge, in Brooklyn, buses along Nostrand Avenue, Merrick Boulevard in Queens and a Pelham Parkway/Fordham Road route in the Bronx.