Fast Buses: Mamdani Administration Moves Forward With Stalled Madison Avenue Bus Lane Project

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 11, 2026  
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Fast Buses: Mamdani Administration Moves Forward With Stalled Madison Avenue Bus Lane Project

Delayed bus lane redesign will be completed this year, making buses faster and more reliable for 92,000 daily local and express bus riders from all five boroughs

Project will extend existing double bus lanes on Madison Avenue, from 42nd Street south to 23rd Street, where buses crawl at speeds as low as 4.5 miles per hour

NEW YORK - New York City Deputy Mayor of Operations Julia Kerson and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today announced the agency will complete a stalled street redesign extending double bus lanes on Manhattan's Madison Avenue from 42nd Street south to 23rd Street. The project will make buses faster and more reliable for 92,000 daily local and express bus riders from all five boroughs and support the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's congestion pricing program by making it easier to commute to Manhattan's core without a car. Commissioner Flynn announced the redesign will be completed this year alongside Deputy Mayor Kerson at Madison Square Park on Sunday.

"The Mamdani Administration is serious about keeping this city moving. Installing new bus lanes on Southern Madison Avenue will speed up commutes for nearly 100,000 riders a day. That saves New Yorkers time, money, and headaches," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson. "That's real impact, and I want to thank DOT for delivering it."

"Madison Avenue is one of the most important bus corridors in the city, yet tens of thousands of riders are crawling along at walking speed," said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. "It's time to deliver this project and give buses the dedicated space they need so working New Yorkers can get where they're going faster."

"Bus lanes are key to getting buses through traffic and keeping riders moving," said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. "It's great news that NYC DOT is moving forward on longstanding bus lane legal commitments to speed up buses on Madison Ave. When paired with bus lane enforcement, nearly 100,000 riders of the M1, M2, M3, M4, Q32, and express buses going to midtown, will save time getting where they need to go."

Madison Avenue today features two bus lanes, two travel lanes, and one parking lane from 60th Street to 42nd Street, serving 34 local and express bus routes. NYC DOT data shows buses along these routes are often bogged down in traffic below 42nd Street, where riders are stuck traveling as slow as 4.5 miles per hour-nearly half the citywide average bus speed of 8.1 miles per hour. On this stretch of Madison Avenue south of 42nd Street, 55 percent of people on the street are riding the bus-but with no dedicated space prior to this project.

To speed up service, NYC DOT in 2025 proposed extending the double bus lane design south to 23rd Street, with plans to install the project last year before it was paused, delaying critical improvements for transit riders. Along with the two bus lanes, the redesign south of 42nd Street will feature one travel lane, as well as one parking/rush-hour travel lane.

Data shows that double bus lanes can effectively speed up buses. After double bus lanes were installed on the neighboring Fifth Avenue, local bus speeds improved between six and 12 percent, and express bus speeds improved between 11 and 20 percent.

Today's announcement follows the Mamdani administration's recent moves to revive critical street redesign projects on McGuinness Boulevard in Brooklyn and 31st Street in Queens.

"One year after the implementation of congestion pricing, it is clear that it is working and making New York better. There's less traffic, safer streets, and cleaner air. And it allows us to reimagine our streets for improvements such as the extension of the Madison Avenue bus lane south to 23rd Street," said U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler. "I'm proud to join the Mamdani Administration today and announce this important investment in public transit."

"As an early supporter of the 14th Street busway, I knew what we all know today: bus lanes have led to faster and more reliable commutes for riders," said Councilmember Harvey Epstein. "I applaud DOT's decision to complete the redesign on Madison Avenue to extend the double bus lane. The sooner this project is implemented, the sooner 90,000 daily riders will start to enjoy the benefits of increased bus speeds along this corridor."

"The Madison Avenue Bus Improvement Project will make our transit system work better by speeding up buses along one of the East Side's busiest corridors. It strengthens our economy, protects our environment, and delivers immediate benefits to straphangers," said Councilmember Virginia Maloney. "Faster buses, safer streets, and less congestion are major wins for East Siders."

"Bus riders will get a badly needed boost when the Mamdani administration extends double bus lanes a mile south to Madison Square Park," said Betsy Plum, executive director of the Riders Alliance. "After years of bus priority projects being frozen out, riders who depend on buses every day will enjoy a welcome spring thaw of faster service. And this should just be the beginning. Once summer hits, we look forward to seeing the town painted red, with bold action for bus riders citywide, from Fordham Road to Flatbush Avenue and everywhere in between."

"Regional Plan Association (RPA) applauds the NYC DOT progress towards the implementation of the double Manhattan Midtown bus lanes on Madison Avenue," said Tiffany-Ann Taylor, vice president of Transportation at the Regional Plan Association. "Buses are a critical component of the city's transit network, and their movement deserves to be prioritized to ensure greater mobility systemwide. Giving riders more options on our streets helps to reduce congestion, making travel faster across the Central Business District."

"We couldn't be happier to celebrate this expanded bus lane right in the center of the congestion relief zone," said Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives. "This upgrade will build on congestion pricing's success to bring faster, more reliable commutes to almost 100,000 New Yorkers. This is a step forward for all bus riders in New York City, and we look forward to new, improved, and expanded bus lanes in every corner of the five boroughs."