In what could be described as a true Halloween "creep" show, transit advocates gathered yesterday to dishonor the city's slowest bus routes, bestowing the sixth annual Pokey Award on the Crosstown M23. Clocking in at an average speed of 4 miles per hour at noon, the M23 can't even beat walking.To ensure that no bad deed goes unpunished, a new prize was added this year for unreliable bus service: The first annual Schleppie Award went to the M1, which runs from Harlem to the East Village. As reflected in NYC Transit's own data, buses on that route are 32.8 percent unreliable, meaning one out of three comes after a large gap in service or bunched up with preceding buses."You have a better chance of winning Lotto than you do of predicting when the M1 is going to show up," remarked Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign. Russianoff and Paul Steely White, director of Transportation Alternatives, donned tuxedoes to draw attention to their survey of 23 bus routes. Not that their findings were surprising."Buses are still slooooow," Russianoff said. "Our awards vividly illustrates what riders know from bitter, daily experiences."What set this year's ceremony apart, however, is the promise of better service. White noted bus speeds could improve if Mayor Michael Bloomberg's congestion pricing scheme is approved.This plan would not only thin traffic, he said, but fund improvements like Bus Rapid Transit. When the first five BRT routes begin to roll out next year, riders should see faster commutes due to dedicated lanes and traffic signals that give priority to buses. With these changes, NYC Transit said in a statement, "The era of slow bus service could eventually be left behind."White also lauded the city's new transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, who has entertained reconfiguring streets to cater to buses, bicyclists and pedestrians.Russianoff held out hope for these new initiatives, but won't hold his breath. "Sadly, New York City is way behind other cities in America and across the world in using its street space in intelligent ways," he said. "I mean, for Godssakes, Los Angeles is moving much quicker on BRT and has had a huge success, whereas here in New York we're lagging all too far behind."The PokiesSlowest buses in five boroughs, measured at noon:1. M23 (Crosstown on 23rd Street): 4 mph2. B63 (Bay Ridge to Cobble Hill): 4.9 mph3. Bx19 (Fordham to Upper Manhattan): 5 mph4. Q56 (Jamaica to East New York): 6.1 mph5. S61 (Ferry Terminal to S.I. Mall): 11.7 mph