Mamdani’s Department of Transportation (DOT) plans to speed up the Q70 Select Bus Service (SBS) service, aka the “LaGuardia Link,” connecting Queens’ LaGuardia Airport with the Jackson-Heights Roosevelt Avenue subway station, his office announced on Wednesday.
The plan involves painting a dedicated eastbound center-running bus lane on Broadway between 69th Street and Roosevelt Avenue. The agency’s proposal would keep one vehicle travel lane in each direction.
Mamdani, in a statement, said the lane would quicken bus speeds along the corridor, which can be as slow as 2.7 miles per hour during the evening rush, long after World Cup revelers coming from out of town have flown home.
“The World Cup may come and go, but the investments we made to our streets and public transit must serve New Yorkers for decades to come,” the mayor said.
“Arriving in New York City should be fast, affordable and reliable all year round — not just during major events,” he added. “This new bus lane will help welcome visitors from around the world this summer while delivering faster commutes every day for the thousands of working-class New Yorkers who rely on the Q70.”
The DOT will present the project to the local Community Board this month and plans to have the lane painted before the competition begins on June 13.
The project is one of several street improvements that Mamdani’s DOT has commenced in the run-up to the sporting event. Others include a redesign of Manhattan’s 9th Avenue and a new bike lane entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge on its Manhattan side.
“NYC DOT has launched a series of street improvements that will improve mobility during and long after the World Cup, whether you’re arriving through LaGuardia or biking over the Brooklyn Bridge,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson said in a statement.
Discount shuttle buses for World Cup: Hochul
Meanwhile, Hochul ‘s administration, in partnership with the World Cup Host Committee, revealed on May 13 that round-trip shuttle bus prices for journeys to and from New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, where eight games of the World Cup between mid-June and mid-July will be played, will be lowered from $80 to $20. Moreover, 20% of the tickets will be reserved for New York State residents.
“Cheaper shuttle bus service is a no-brainer — saving fans money and making it easier to get to matches, especially for New Yorkers who have access to exclusive tickets at this new, lower price,” Hochul said in a statement. “This is your World Cup, and from Buffalo to Brooklyn, New Yorkers should be able to enjoy every moment of it.”
The governor’s announcement is among moves made in response to a whirlwind of backlash over New Jersey Transit’s initial plan to charge World Cup goers $150 for round-trip train tickets and $80 for shuttle bus fares.
Another one of those actions came last week, when New Jersey Transit said it would lower rail ticket prices to $105 following the uproar over its original price, which represented a 1,062% increase from the standard $12.90 fare for the journey from Penn Station to East Rutherford.
The shuttle buses will depart from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, a location east of Grand Central Station, and another in Midtown North, northwest of Central Park.
Furthermore, bus capacity is being expanded to 18,000 seats from 10,000 for five games, and to 12,000 for the other three.