A stalled street redesign featuring double bus lanes will finally be completed this year, Deputy Mayor of Operations Julia Kerson announced Sunday.
“One of Mayor Mamdani’s top priorities is making busses fast and free, delivering the kind of transit New Yorkers can count on,” Kerson said. “One way we do that is by building world class infrastructure that gives busses dedicated space, including right here on Madison Avenue.”
The proposed corridor—from 42nd St. south to 23rd St.—is traversed by about 92,000 bus riders every day, according to Department of Transportation data, and that span often gets bogged down with traffic.
Buses are frequently forced to travel the stretch as slow as four to five miles an hour—about half the speed of the citywide average of 8.1 mph, according to the DOT. Last year the DOT proposed extending the double bus lanes to 23rd St., but the project was put on hold.
”Right now, bus speeds here are unacceptable,” Kerson said. “We’re talking about four to five miles per hour. That’s half the city wide average. That’s not just frustrating. It means missing a shift at work, arriving late to a doctor’s appointment, or your kid being the last one to get picked up after school. The good news is we’ve got a plan.”
“Today, we’re committing that we will move forward and complete this project this year,” Kerson added. “Operations is about execution. It’s about coordination across agencies, removing barriers and making sure good projects don’t stay stuck on the shelf.”
The project will affect rides for commuters on the M1, M2, M3, M4 and Q32 bus lines.
After similar lanes were installed on Fifth Ave., local bus speeds improved between 6 and 12 percent, and express bus speeds improved between 11 and 20 percent, according to the DOT.
The Madison Ave. bus lane initiative is part of a broader effort by the Mamdani administration to move forward with long delayed redesigns, Kerson said. Future projects include McGinnis Boulevard in Brooklyn and 31st Street in Queens.
“After years of bus priority projects being frozen out, riders who depend on buses every day will enjoy a welcome spring thaw of faster service,” Betsy Plum, executive director of the Riders Alliance said in a statement.
“And this should just be the beginning. Once summer hits, we look forward to seeing the town painted red, with bold action for bus riders citywide, from Fordham Road to Flatbush Avenue and everywhere in between,” she stated.
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