The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) has revealed that the Tremont Avenue busway project has been finished, bringing service designed to be faster and more reliable for 39,000 daily Bx36 riders while also working to make one of the Bronx’s busiest and most dangerous corridors safer. 

Tremont serves the Bx36, where buses have traveled as slowly as five miles per hour. The corridor connects riders to nearby subway routes and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Metro-North Railroad and is home to a transit-dependent community where 72% of households do not own a private car.

“Two months ago, we announced that the city would finally move forward with the Bronx’s long-delayed busway. Today, it’s officially up and running,” said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “For 39,000 daily riders, that means less time stuck in traffic and more time getting where you need to go. This is what it looks like when we build a city that respects New Yorkers’ time and makes our streets safer for everyone.”

The busway is now operational and will function seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Buses, trucks with six or more wheels, emergency vehicles and Access-a-Ride vehicles are permitted to travel the full corridor. Other vehicles, including taxis and for-hire vehicles, may enter only for local access and must exit at the next available right turn.

With high ridership, yet frequent delays, Tremont Avenue is one of the corridors prioritized in Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service, Mayor Mamdani’s partnership with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA to make bus service faster and more reliable across 175 bus routes.

The new busway also lays the groundwork for future bus rapid transit along a broader Tremont Avenue corridor. As outlined in the plan, future upgrades will include streetscape improvements, station-like bus stops with improved shelters and other investments to deliver improved bus service. 

“Fast, reliable bus infrastructure has arrived on Tremont Avenue. Bus riders will now spend less time stuck in traffic and more time where they need to be: with their families, friends and making it on time to work and appointments,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “We look forward to building off the success of this busway to deliver true world-class, bus rapid transit upgrades in the future. We will be starting the public outreach process soon to share with the community how we can take this design to the next level with upgrades to streets, sidewalks and bus stops to bring comfortable, reliable and convenient transit options to Bronx residents.” 

Tremont Avenue has been determined to be among the most dangerous streets in the Bronx and a Vision Zero priority corridor. Between 2020 and 2024, four people were killed and nearly 630 people were injured in crashes along Tremont Avenue—an average of two injuries every week.  

As part of the busway installation, NYC DOT added safety improvements at eight intersections along the corridor and nearby streets: 

• Tremont Avenue at Webster Avenue 
• Tremont Avenue at Third Avenue 
• Tremont Avenue at Southern Boulevard and Crotona Parkway 
• Third Avenue at East 175th Street 
• Southern Boulevard at Crotona Parkway and 180th Street 
• Crotona Avenue and 180th Street 
• Third Avenue and 180th Street 
• Tremont Avenue and Washington Avenue 

The redesign includes painted sidewalk extensions that shorten pedestrian crossing distances and encourage turning vehicles to slow down. The curb extensions are reinforced with flexible delineators, granite blocks and bicycle parking to discourage illegal parking.

“When the state, city and MTA are all on the same page, results come quick,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “The Tremont Avenue Busway has been completed just two months after it was announced, and it’s going to build on MTA’s local bus network redesign to improve speeds and reliability for almost 40,000 daily riders.”

In 2026, the Mamdani administration has advanced major projects to speed up bus service across all five boroughs, including: 

• The Bronx: Fordham Road, 161st Street and Tremont Avenue  
• Manhattan: 34th Street, 116th Street, Madison Avenue and Lexington Avenue  
• Brooklyn: Marcy Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Utica Avenue, Church Avenue and Linden Boulevard 
• Staten Island: Victory Boulevard  
• Queens: Broadway

Together, these projects are part of the administration’s broader effort to make bus service faster, more reliable and safer for millions of New Yorkers who rely on it every day. 

“The completion of the Tremont Avenue busway is what happens when government puts bus riders first and prioritizes people’s everyday needs,” said Fast and Free Buses Mayoral Senior Advisor Elizabeth Adams. “Mayor Mandani has been committed to fast and free buses from day one, and today we are giving New Yorkers real time back in their day to spend with families, friends or just taking care of what’s needed during their day. Today is an exciting step, and we are excited to continue to roll out new fast bus projects across the city.”