NYC buses to become faster under new plan by Mayor Mamdani, Gov. Hochul

Bus rides across New York City will become faster under a new plan from Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The "Next Stop" plan aims to speed up commutes by up to six minutes per ride on at least 50 priority bus corridors across the city. It will implement road redesigns, traffic enforcement, new routes and other improvements.

City officials say the average city bus travels at 8 mph. Meanwhile, subways move at about 18 mph, and cars go up to 25 mph. "Next Stop" will increase bus speeds by 20% on priority corridors, according to the plan.

The city will spend a total of $882 million over five years for the project.

"For working New Yorkers, every minute matters. But for too long, our buses have been stuck in traffic instead of keeping pace with the city that never sleeps," Mamdani said.

Rapid bus corridors, new buses and street redesigns

Here are some of the goals outlined:

• Creating five "rapid bus corridors" in parts of Brooklyn and Queens by 2030
• Install 300 new bus shelters by 2028 and seating at 875 bus stops in 2026
• Advance 28 street design projects by the end of 2026
• Implement all-door boarding by 2027 so riders aren't getting in at just the front of buses 
• Purchase 2,500 new buses to replace over 40% of the fleet
• Install 200 new stationary bus lane cameras by 2027
• Ensure 90% of New Yorkers live within a half-mile of a subway, rail, Select Bus or new Rapid Bus station

The first rapid corridors will be at Tremont/Cross Bronx, Northern Boulevard in Queens, Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, Utica Avenue in Brooklyn and Kensington-JFK in Brooklyn and Queens.

Those routes will have the bus lanes running down the center of the street, limiting cars and trucks to one curbside lane in each direction.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber added they're also going to increase automatic camera enforcement, saying it's already showing huge benefits.

"You know what, New Yorkers are smart," he said. "When they get that first ticket, the overwhelming majority of them don't get a second."

There are also plans to make bus stop shelters more appealing by planting trees and mitigating extreme heat. There will also be more real-time passenger displays, so you'll know when the next bus is arriving.

"Transit renaissance" 

The plan is a partnership between the city's Department of Transportation and the MTA.

Lieber said the changes are long overdue.

"They will ramp up traffic enforcement to keep streets moving. Buses can only move as fast as traffic allows, so if you are a bus or a bus rider, this is terrific news," he said. 

"New York is in the midst of a transit renaissance, with historic investments being made to improve the lifeblood of our city," Hochul said. "Now, working with Mayor Mamdani, we are advancing a bold and ambitious plan to move buses faster, dramatically expand bus priority, reduce delays and make our bus system the envy of the world."  

Riders Alliance Executive Director Betsy Plum lauded the plan.

"Slow buses are not just an inconvenience. They are a barrier to opportunity, a drain on family time, and a daily indignity for the New Yorkers who rely on them to reach work, school, childcare, healthcare and other basic needs and opportunities," part of her statement read. 

One of Mamdani's campaign promises was to make buses faster and free. His first move in office was naming Mike Flynn as his transit commissioner. 

Since then, he revived four bus and bike lane projects, including one on Fordham Road.