New York City is moving forward with major bus improvements in the Bronx and Brooklyn, which officials say can speed up commutes for nearly 200,000 daily riders.
In the Bronx, the city plans to install the long-delayed Tremont Avenue busway later this year. The project is expected to improve service for about 39,000 daily riders on the Bx36 route, where buses currently travel as slowly as 5 mph in some areas, according to City Hall.
What You Need To Know
Construction of the long-delayed Tremont Avenue busway is expected to begin later this year, improving service for about 39,000 daily Bx36 riders
The Department of Transportation is also beginning community outreach on bus improvements along Flatbush, Utica and Church avenues in Brooklyn
The announcement comes one week after Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled an initiative to increase bus speeds by 20% on 50 priority bus corridors
The busway will operate daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Buses, emergency vehicles, Access-A-Ride vehicles and trucks with six or more wheels will be allowed to travel the full corridor. Other vehicles will be permitted only for local access before making the next available right turn.
City officials said the redesign also will include intersection safety improvements along the corridor, which has seen nearly 630 people injured in crashes, including 46 serious injuries and four fatalities, between 2020 and 2024, according to city data.
In Brooklyn, the DOT is also launching a community outreach program on improvements along Flatbush, Utica and Church avenues.
DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said the city is taking a comprehensive approach to improving bus travel.
“It’s about designing the streets to prioritize buses. That can mean dedicated bus lanes, or what we call busways. It can mean even physically protected bus lanes where other drivers really can’t get in there and block it. It’s how we time the traffic signals. But it’s also things like the MTA committing to all-door bus boarding by next year,” he said.
The announcement comes one week after Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled the “Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service” initiative, which will increase bus speeds by 20% on 50 priority bus corridors, reducing travel time by as much as six minutes on each trip.
According to city officials, busways elsewhere in the five boroughs have “increased bus speeds by as much as 60% while reducing injuries by up to 45%.”