NYC DOT begins offset bus lane install on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan

The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) has begun work to upgrade bus lanes on eight blocks of Lexington Avenue, running from 60th Street to 52nd Street.  

The project is set to replace current curbside bus lanes with offset bus lanes. This aims to keep lanes clear of illegally parked vehicles and increase speeds of bus service in the corridor for 71,000 daily Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) riders traveling from the Bronx, Staten Island and Manhattan.

“New Yorkers deserve buses that move quickly and reliably, not buses stuck in traffic because someone decided to treat a bus lane like a parking spot,” said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “Offset bus lanes work because they keep lanes clear and buses moving. This is exactly the kind of small-but-mighty fix that makes life better for working people across our city.” 

The redesign follows a similar 2019 redesign on Lexington Avenue from East 96th Street to East 60th Street. After NYC DOT converted that corridor from curbside to offset bus lanes, it says bus speeds increased by 26% and pedestrian injuries declined by 35%.

“The Mamdani administration will be thinking big on the next generation of bus service, but we also have to get the little things right. The existing curbside lanes on Lexington Avenue are often blocked, leading to bus speeds that are only just slightly faster than walking for more than 70,000 bus riders relying on the corridor each day,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “When we’ve delivered similar upgrades, we’ve seen tremendous benefits for better bus service and safer streets. We look forward to continued partnership with the MTA to deliver faster, more reliable service across the city.”

This stretch of Lexington Avenue serves eight bus routes from the Bronx, Staten Island and Manhattan, including: BxM1, M101, M102, M103, SIM11, SIM22, SIM26 and SIM6. NYC DOT notes that bus speeds along the corridor average 5 miles per hour during daytime hours because vehicles block the existing curbside lane for deliveries, pickups and drop-offs. 

The new design will reshape this portion of Lexington Avenue to include two parking lanes, one bus lane and two general travel lanes.

“The historic bus boom continues as NYC DOT advances bus lane improvements on the first stretch of Lexington Avenue that enters the congestion relief zone,” said Regional Plan Association Vice President of Research Strategy Rachel Weinberger. “The offset design change will help the buses avoid illegally parked cars and the new street design will reduce double-parking. The improvement means a better ride for the more than 71,000 daily riders on the route. Bus lane offsets are proven to increase bus speeds while also helping protect pedestrians.”

The project is one of several bus lane redesigns now underway across the city. NYC DOT recently began work on bus lane upgrades along Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. The agency has also committed to redesigning bus lanes on Fordham Road in the Bronx later this year.