NYC DOT to begin construction of once-stalled bus lances on Madison Avenue
Work has resumed this week to complete a street redesign that will extend double bus lanes on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue from 42nd Street south to 23rd Street. Announced and then subsequently stalled last year, the project aims to make buses faster and more reliable for 92,000 daily local and express bus riders from all five boroughs. The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) notes the project supports the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) congestion pricing program by making commutes to Manhattan’s core without a car easier due to the better flowing traffic. NYC DOT expects the project to be completed over the next several weeks, weather permitting.
“For too long, New Yorkers have been forced to watch critical infrastructure projects be slowed, scaled back or scrapped altogether by an administration that lacked urgency. That ends now,” said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “By moving forward with work on Madison, we are choosing a city that works for the many, not the few. Faster, more reliable buses mean thousands of working people get where they need to go on time. And by shortening commutes, we’re returning invaluable time to New Yorkers. That’s what a functional transit system should deliver for every New Yorker.”
Madison Avenue currently features two bus lanes, two travel lanes and one parking lane running from 60th Street to 42nd Street, serving 34 local and express bus routes. NYC DOT notes that its data shows buses along these routes are often slowed by traffic below 42nd Street, where riders are left moving as slow as 4.5 miles per hour—nearly half the citywide average bus speed of 8.1 miles per hour. On this stretch of Madison Avenue south of 42nd Street, NYC DOT notes that 55% of people on the street are riding the bus—but with no dedicated space prior to this project.
Along with the two bus lanes, the redesign will feature one travel lane throughout, one parking lane with left turn pockets from 23rd to 34th Street and one parking/rush hour travel lane from 34th to 42nd Street. The project also adjusts curb regulations on Madison Avenue and some adjacent blocks to help improve the availability of parking.
“Every weekday, nearly 100,000 bus riders from all five boroughs are stuck crawling along Madison Avenue at walking speed. The snail’s pace of buses and the unpredictable commutes steal precious time from working New Yorkers that could otherwise be spent with their families and friends,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “The Mamdani administration will be laser-focused on improving New Yorkers quality of life with service upgrades just like this. We look forward to completing this project as soon as possible to help get New Yorkers where they’re going faster.”
NYC DOT says the data shows that double bus lanes can effectively speed up buses. After double bus lanes were installed on the neighboring Fifth Avenue, local bus speeds improved between 6% and 12%, and express bus speeds improved between 11% and 20%.