NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani says the Bronx's first dedicated busway to launch in mid-September
There is a renewed effort to get buses moving more efficiently in the Bronx.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday morning that the New York City Department of Transportation is working on the borough's first dedicated busway -- on Tremont Avenue. The goal is to improve service for tens of thousands of daily riders.
The project is part of the city's partnership with the state and the MTA to make bus service faster and more reliable along 175 bus routes.
"Come Sept. 19, between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., every day, only buses, trucks with more than six wheels, Access-A-Ride vans, emergency vehicles, and bicycles will be allowed to travel the length of this corridor," Mamdani said. "We will add painted sidewalk extensions to shorten crossing distances for pedestrians and force vehicles to slow down as they turn corners."
The city said Bx36 buses along the corridor currently travel less than 5 mph during rush hour. The mayor said the Tremont Avenue project was ready to launch in February 2025, but had been canceled by the previous administration.
"Bronx residents deserve world-class bus service, and that starts with finally delivering on upgrades promised years ago. This project will bring badly needed bus and safety upgrades on a critical crosstown route in the borough." DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said. "Every day, 39,000 bus riders will spend less time stuck in traffic and more time where they need to be: with their families, loved ones and friends, or at work and appointments. We look forward to building off the success of this busway and working with the community to develop Tremont Avenue into a world-class rapid transit corridor."
Faster bus service will better connect riders to the nearby 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, A, B and D subway lines, Metro-North Railroad and other local bus routes, the city said.
