New offset bus lanes will improve service for 71,000 daily riders
Similar projects have increased bus speeds by 26% and reduced pedestrian injuries by 35%
A Staten Island express bus travels along Lexington Avenue’s bus lane in Manhattan. Credit: NYC DOT
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today announced work has begun to upgrade bus lanes on eight blocks of Lexington Avenue, from 60th Street to 52nd Street.
The project will replace existing curbside bus lanes with offset bus lanes, helping keep lanes clear of illegal parked vehicles and speeding up bus service for 71,000 daily 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 Mayor 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.”
“Upgrading bus lanes from curbside to offset speeds up buses and keeps pedestrians safe,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson. “This project will benefit tens of thousands of riders who rely on Lexington Avenue to get to work, see family and enjoy all our city has to offer.”
“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.”
The redesign follows a similar upgrade completed in 2019 on Lexington Avenue from East 96th Street to East 60th Street. After NYC DOT converted that corridor from curbside to offset bus lanes, bus speeds increased by 26% and pedestrian injuries declined by 35%.
This stretch of Lexington Avenue serves eight bus routes from the Bronx, Staten Island, and Manhattan: BxM1, M101, M102, M103, SIM11, SIM22, SIM26, and SIM6. Bus speeds along the corridor average just 5 mph during daytime hours because vehicles frequently block the existing curbside lane for deliveries, pickups and drop-offs.
Under the new design, this portion of Lexington Avenue will include two parking lanes, one bus lane and two general travel lanes.
The Lexington Avenue project is one of several bus lane redesigns now underway across the city as the spring construction season ramps up. 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.
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