Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation\u00a0(NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn\u00a0today broke ground on the redesign of Fordham Road,\u00a0adding\u00a0new offset bus lanes from Sedgwick Avenue to Boston Road in the Bronx. The project will\u00a0make\u00a0commutes faster and more reliable for 130,000 daily bus riders while delivering critical\u00a0safety upgrades on one of the borough\u2019s highest-crash corridors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not\u00a0only\u00a0promising fast buses, we are delivering them,\u201d said\u00a0Mayor Mamdani. \u201cThis year, Fordham Road riders won\u2019t\u00a0have to watch their time disappear in traffic while\u00a0cars\u00a0block\u00a0bus lanes that were\u00a0meant for people. This project will give 130,000 New Yorkers faster, more reliable commutes every day so they can spend more time doing what they love and less time stuck in traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFordham Road buses are a lifeline for\u00a0many Bronxites, and yet\u00a0their commutes\u00a0to work,\u00a0to\u00a0visit family and\u00a0to visit\u00a0friends are slow and\u00a0unreliable,\u201d said\u00a0NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. \u201cThis redesign will give bus riders much-needed relief with faster and more reliable service while still accommodating vehicle traffic\u00a0in the area. Where we have\u00a0installed similar designs, we have seen bus speeds increase as much as 28%, and we will continue\u00a0monitoring\u00a0the corridor for further improvements as needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith this project now underway, Fordham Road is at the center of New York\u2019s burgeoning bus renaissance,\u201d said\u00a0MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. \u201cThings are taking off now because we finally have City partners who share MTA\u2019s vision for a better bus network, and that starts with more dedicated bus lanes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery change we can make to the street infrastructure goes a long way in improving bus service, whether that be improving speeds, accessibility or reliability,\u201d said\u00a0MTA New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. \u201cSimply put, better bus infrastructure leads to better bus service. And offset lanes like the ones being built here will help improve all three. These lanes mean that 130,000 Bronx riders will get where they need to go faster, more safely and more reliably.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, buses on\u00a0Fordham Road travel as slowly as 5 mph, with\u00a0existing\u00a0curbside bus lanes\u00a0frequently blocked by\u00a0deliveries and passenger\u00a0pick-ups and drop-offs.\u00a0The\u00a0City\u00a0will\u00a0convert those\u00a0curbside lanes\u00a0into offset lanes\u00a0that\u00a0better separate\u00a0buses from\u00a0general\u00a0traffic while\u00a0creating\u00a0dedicated parking and loading spaces to support local businesses.\u00a0Similar redesigns across the city have increased bus speeds by as much as 28% while reducing pedestrian and cyclist injuries by as much as 30%.<\/p>\n
In this section of the Bronx, 62% of households do not have access to a private vehicle, and 71% of residents rely on public transit, biking or walking to get around.<\/p>\n
In February, Mayor Mamdani announced the City would restart work on the\u00a0Fordham Road redesign after years of delays under the previous administration. Construction begins just weeks after the release of\u00a0Next Stop, the City\u2019s historic partnership with New York State\u00a0to shorten commutes by up to six minutes across\u00a0175 bus routes, including\u00a0Fordham Road.<\/p>\n
Since January, the Mamdani administration has advanced major projects to speed\u00a0up\u00a0buses\u00a0across the\u00a0five boroughs, including\u00a0on\u00a0Fordham Road<\/a>, 161st Street<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Tremont Avenue<\/a>\u00a0in the Bronx;\u00a034th Street<\/a>,\u00a0116th Street<\/a>,\u00a0Madison Avenue<\/a> and\u00a0Lexington Avenue<\/a>\u00a0in Manhattan;\u00a0Marcy Avenue<\/a>,\u00a0Flatbush Avenue<\/a>,\u00a0Utica Avenue<\/a>,\u00a0Church Avenue<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Linden Boulevard<\/a>\u00a0in Brooklyn;\u00a0Victory Boulevard<\/a>\u00a0on Staten Island; and\u00a0Broadway<\/a>\u00a0in Queens.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Fordham Road redesign will deliver faster, more reliable public transit for the everyday New Yorkers who depend on it most,\u201d said Congressman Adriano Espaillat. \u201cIn a Bronx community where 62% of households do not have access to a car and more than 70% of residents get around by bus, on foot or by bike, our neighbors deserve service that is quick,\u00a0dependable and safe. New offset bus lanes will give more than 130,000 daily riders the reliable service they have long been owed, while dedicated loading and parking keeps the small businesses along Fordham Road strong and thriving. I commend everyone involved in advancing this project, and our communities are grateful to the workers who will make faster, safer streets a reality for our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe new offset bus lanes and redesign of Fordham Road will help thousands of bus riding Bronxites to get where they need to be faster and more reliably,\u201d said\u00a0State Senator Gustavo Rivera. \u201cThese upgrades will make roads in my district safer for drivers,\u00a0commuters\u00a0and pedestrians. I want to thank Mayor Mamdani, the\u00a0DOT\u00a0and the MTA for their commitment to faster busses and safer roads for my neighbors and visitors alike.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPublic transit is not simply how people move through a city. It is how opportunity reaches them,\u201d said\u00a0State Senator Robert Jackson. \u201cFor the riders who depend on Fordham Road each day, faster buses and safer streets mean more time with family, more reliable access to work and education and a government that recognizes the value of every hour they spend waiting. This project reflects a fundamental principle of public service: our streets must serve the many, not merely accommodate the few. I commend Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Flynn for advancing a redesign that places working people, public\u00a0safety\u00a0and the future of the Bronx at the center of our transportation policy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor too long, buses on Fordham Road have crawled along at speeds as slow as 5 miles per hour,\u201d said\u00a0Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia. \u201cThis project will speed up commutes for 130,000 daily riders, deliver critical safety upgrades and create dedicated parking and loading spaces to support our small businesses. Fordham Road is a vital corridor for our community where most residents rely on public transit, and this redesign will finally give it the investment it deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bronx deserves transportation that is fast, safe and reliable,\u201d said\u00a0Assemblymember George Alvarez. \u201cEvery day, thousands of residents in our district depend on Fordham Road to get where they need to go, yet too many have spent years stuck in traffic or navigating unsafe streets. This redesign is about putting our community first by investing in safer roads, faster bus\u00a0service\u00a0and a stronger local economy.\u00a0For far too long, other boroughs have received millions of dollars in investments for roadway resurfacing, pedestrian plazas, enhanced lighting, streetscape\u00a0improvements\u00a0and countless other infrastructure projects, while communities in the Bronx have too often been left waiting. Today\u2019s groundbreaking\u00a0represents\u00a0an important step\u00a0toward ensuring our borough receives the same level of attention and investment that every New Yorker deserves. I applaud NYC DOT and Mayor Mamdani for moving this long-overdue project forward and for recognizing that the Bronx deserves meaningful investments in its infrastructure. By improving bus service for more than 130,000 daily riders while making Fordham Road safer for pedestrians, cyclists,\u00a0drivers\u00a0and local businesses, we are building a transportation system that better serves the hardworking families who call the Bronx home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019l are ecstatic that the long-awaited Fordham Road bus project is finally becoming a reality,\u201d said\u00a0Anna Berlanga, Bronx & Uptown Organizer for Transportation Alternatives. \u201cWith faster buses, Bronx residents will be able to\u00a0more quickly and reliably travel to school, to\u00a0work,\u00a0to the doctor or just to one of the many local stores on one of the strongest commercial corridors in the city. Fordham Road is also the most dangerous street for pedestrians in the Bronx, and these improvements will transform a dangerous street into one that is safe for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFordham Road is one of the busiest bus corridors in New York City, and 130,000 daily riders should not have to accept buses crawling along at five miles per hour as the status quo,\u201d said\u00a0Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President of Regional Plan Association. \u201cThis redesign will give buses the space they need to move, while making one of the Bronx\u2019s most dangerous corridors safer for everyone who uses it. In a community where nearly two-thirds\u00a0of households do not have access to a private vehicle, faster and more reliable bus service is fundamental to expanding access to jobs, education and opportunity. RPA applauds the Mamdani administration and NYC DOT for moving this long-delayed project forward and continuing to prioritize the bus improvements New Yorkers need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFordham Road is one of the Bronx\u2019s most important commercial and transit corridors and improving bus reliability and street safety can deliver meaningful benefits for residents, workers and businesses alike,\u201d said\u00a0Lisa Sorin, President of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce. \u201cThe inclusion of dedicated parking and loading spaces is especially important for the small businesses that depend on reliable deliveries and customer access. As construction moves forward, the Bronx Chamber looks forward to working with NYC DOT to ensure implementation is coordinated, clearly communicated and responsive to the day-to-day realities of the businesses\u00a0operating\u00a0along the corridor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGetting 130,000 daily bus riders moving faster and more reliably is a critical step forward, and we\u2019re glad to see this long-delayed project moving ahead,\u201d said\u00a0Jackson Chabot, Director of Advocacy and Organizing at Open Plans. \u201cNew York has an enormous opportunity to make transit faster and more attractive while reducing our reliance on cars. Delivering on that vision will require not only dedicated bus lanes and true Bus Rapid Transit across all five boroughs, but also holistic curb reform and automated enforcement to keep those lanes clear and moving. Together, these tools can give more New Yorkers a fast, reliable alternative to driving and make real progress on reducing vehicle miles traveled.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFordham Road is one of New York City\u2019s busiest bus routes \u2014 and also one of its slowest,\u201d said\u00a0Eric McClure, Executive Director of\u00a0StreetsPAC. \u201cPeople who rely on the bus to get around the Bronx deserve better, so we\u2019re thrilled to see NYC DOT breaking ground on major improvements to Fordham Road, which will both speed up trips for more than 100,000 daily riders and make the entire corridor safer for everyone who uses it. Fordham Road is a critical\u00a0facet\u00a0of the Mamdani administration\u2019s plans to significantly improve bus service citywide, and we tip our caps to Commissioner Flynn and the NYC DOT team for getting this project underway.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n